


The Dead of Night

by crammit



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fingerfucking, Fluff, Humor, Power Dynamics, Smut, Violence, Werewolves, Witches, battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:45:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 84,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2313290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crammit/pseuds/crammit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For hundreds of years, wolves and witches have existed in peaceful coexistence until a terrible threat seeks to tear that alliance apart.  With witches on the brink of extinction, Brittany finds herself at the mercy of a beautiful stranger who isn’t exactly what she seems.  With no other choice but to put her trust and her life in this woman’s hands, will Brittany find the key to stopping the violence wiping out her people or will she instead experience the ultimate betrayal?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done. 
> 
> A/N: I'm probably taking a few liberties with popular culture and its portrayals of witches and werewolves and I'm freely admitting that up front (just in case it ends up being "That's not how Willow did it" and "Scott McCall would NEVER!". LOL While I'm not intending to follow anything directly from all the movies and television shows I've seen in my life that have witches and werewolves in them, I have no doubt that my mythology here will definitely be influenced by all of those things and my love for all of those things.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)

Breath racing from her lungs, Brittany barely feels the scrape of the bark across her shoulder as she sprints through the dense forest, turning sharply as the ball of light ahead of her veers to her left. She can hear the sounds of twigs snapping in the distance, the steady sound carrying across terrain made barren by winter and despite exhaustion pulling at her like stones tied to her feet, she keeps running as panic sharpens her focus. All she can see is the pale blue light guiding her to safety, her body moving on instinct as she leaps over fallen tree limbs, the fur pelt around her shoulders snagging on low-lying branches. Brittany knows that she’ll move faster if she just drops the damn thing but she also knows that the artificial cold pushing at her back would freeze her skin instantly and so she continues to bear the weight of the enchanted pelt, her boots skidding across dead leaves as her shoulder clips another tree. Looking around, her panic spikes as she realizes that the forest is moving, the trees and underbrush pulled tighter in her path.

Desperation pushes her forward, one hand clutching the clasp of the pelt at her neck to prevent it from being pulled off, the ball of light disappearing as it clears the edge of the forest in front of her. Darkness closes in as the moonlight is shielded by the tops of the trees, the ground shifting beneath her feet violently as the roots of the trees crack through the dirt seeking to send their falling trunks to block her path. Brittany places her hand on a fallen tree, vaulting it and stumbling as her pelt gets tangled on a tree limb. Sparing a precious second to turn around, Brittany wraps her hands around the pelt and pulls, sweat streaming down her back inside her tunic despite the unnatural chill in the air. Leaves brush against her hair, another tree limb joining the first as her pelt refuses to move. A low growl reaches her ears and she looks up, her blue eyes scanning the darkness even as her hands grasp fistfuls of the pelt and pull, her muscles trembling with fear and fatigue. The blue light catches her attention as it dances frantically at the corner of her vision and with a cry of frustration, Brittany pulls at the clasp at her neck, the pelt falling free as she turns and sprints towards the blue light, coldness gleefully slapping at her back as the growl grows louder.

With a final shout, Brittany bursts through forest, a cabin in the clearing her only focus as the blue light hovers near the door. Racing across the grass, the sound of splintering wood is drowned out by the blood racing in her ears, the inviting glow behind the windows of the cabin pulling her forward despite her muscles screaming in protest. Slamming into the door, Brittany knocks on the heavy wood, forcing herself not to turn around even as the sound of sprinting footsteps echo behind her. Closing her eyes and summoning the last of her strength, she pulls the blue light back into herself, holding her hands over the door handle, magic pouring through the wood and lifting the wooden bar on the other side. The moment she feels the bar clear the latch on the other side, Brittany pushes the door open and crosses the threshold, shutting the door behind her and pulling the wood bar back down.

Backing up, Brittany falls to her knees, her muscles tight and cramping as she holds her hands up towards the door once more, her breath wheezing from her lungs as she whispers a protection spell. The growling outside the cabin grows louder and she can hear movement behind her but she blocks all of that out, the tingling inside of her growing into an unbearable heat as her body reacts to the magic being called forth. A yelp outside the window brings a twisted smile to her mouth as the barrier around the cabin strengthens, the movement behind her has stopped but she’s still aware of its presence, her heart racing in her chest as she rushes to finish the spell. Her words run together through dry lips as she sags back against her heels, her body swaying unsteadily as her strength starts to deplete. Gritting her teeth, Brittany finishes the last of the spell, opening her eyes as she pushes her magic out with force, the satisfying scream of pain from outside the cabin finally allowing her to fall onto her side on the floor. Faintly, she hears and feels the creatures bodies knocking into the barrier, testing it, and the growls of frustration that follow as footsteps race back towards the woods let her know that at least for tonight, she is safe.

Turning onto her back, Brittany feels the bone weary exhaustion pulling at her consciousness, her body wanting to sink into the soothing nothingness of the sleep that always follows the use of her magic like this. Slight movement sounds again just behind her and she only has the energy to turn her head, her heart jumping as she meets brown eyes, her body betraying her panicked thoughts as she tries to move, to flee from the presence next to her. But her escape through the forest and setting the barrier took everything she had and she can only watch from the floor, the low tingle of magic sputtering out as she starts to go under. The last thing she sees is the sleek black fur of a wolf, its brown eyes watching her as it starts to inch closer, Brittany’s eyes fluttering closed just as the wolf’s warm breath brushes across her face.

 

* * *

 

The smell of stew teases Brittany awake and for a moment, with a soft bed under back, she can almost believe she’s waking up at her sister’s home, her nieces poised to pounce on her to ask for a story. The ache in her body tells a different story and with a gasp she sits up, memories of her flight from danger flooding back as she blinks rapidly, her hand going for a dagger that no longer sits at her waist. Going to move from the bed, Brittany is startled to find her ankle cuffed to the corner of the bed, confusion and fatigue muddling her clarity as she pulls the covers away from her legs and sees the binding holding her in place. Tugging at it produces no result and as she raises her hands to use magic to break the knots, she hears a voice behind her, her head whipping around to find a raven-haired woman sitting at a table, Brittany’s pouches and dagger laid out on top of the wood.

“You won’t be able to break that, you know.”

Keeping an eye on the woman, Brittany tries anyway, giving up after a few moments with a sigh, glaring slightly as the woman eases back further into the chair, the corner of her lips turning up in a small smile. “Told you.”

“Who are you?”

“Who am I? You come bursting into my home in the middle of the night and you don’t know who I am? How did you find my cabin?”

Taking a moment to look around, Brittany is finally able to take in the interior of the cabin, the simple furnishings clean and tidy, herbs and vegetables on a small table by one of the windows. A look over her other shoulder reveals a loft and some kind of work bench underneath it but for the most part, the cabin seems to consist of a single large room and the stranger sitting across from her. Eyeing the bowl of stew next to the woman’s elbow, Brittany’s stomach makes its presence known pitifully, color blooming across her cheeks as the woman’s smile grows slightly. A few more moments of silence pass as the woman just watches her and Brittany feels her embarrassment grow as she finally mumbles out her answer, her eyes looking down at her hands fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. “My ball of light found your cabin.”

The woman continues to watch Brittany, her boots scraping slightly across the floor as she shifts to lean forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “Your ball of light found my cabin.”

“Yes.”

“Why were you seeking?”

The familiar term brings Brittany’s eyes back to the woman’s but before she can answer her, there’s a scraping sound at the door and Brittany’s muscles tense immediately, the threat from earlier rushing back. As the woman watches, Brittany closes her eyes, reaching out with her magic towards the barrier, the woman’s voice confirming what Brittany soon finds out. “Your barrier still holds.”

Standing, the woman makes her way towards the entrance, the scratching at the door growing louder as she approaches. As she places her hand on the door to open it, Brittany’s question brings her attention back, the door opening before Brittany can finish asking it. “If the barrier still holds, then how is it possible that…”

The door opens to reveal a large gray wolf, golden markings running across its head and under its belly, its hazel eyes pinning Brittany to the bed as it steps across the threshold, blood staining its mouth as a rabbit dangles from its teeth. A warning rumble sounds from its chest and Brittany curses the binding keeping her leg tied to the bed, her body shifting as much as she can as she brings her hands forward, her power gathering as the wolf takes another step closer.

Calmly, the woman brings her hand to the wolf’s head, stroking its fur gently as she reaches to take the rabbit from its mouth. Turning its head, the wolf and the woman look at each, another warning rumble sounding before the wolf looks at Brittany, its teeth showing briefly before it turns and leaves the cabin, its howl joined by another before taking off. As the woman shuts the door, she detours to put the rabbit onto a side table, dipping her hands into a water bucket before sitting in front of Brittany once more.

“She won’t hurt you. You can relax your hands now.”

“What about you?”

“I won’t hurt you either. Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, it would have been easier to do so last night. Please, relax your hands.”

Looking down, Brittany realizes her hands are fisted at her sides, her magic glowing faintly between the spaces of her fingers. Taking a deep breath, she pulls the magic back, tugging once more on the bind around her leg. “And I won’t hurt you. Can you untie me now?”

“Tell me why you were seeking, first?”

Hitting the mattress lightly, Brittany gestures to the cabin, hunger and annoyance chipping away at the gratitude she first felt upon waking up and realizing that she had survived through the night. “In case you didn’t notice last night, I was being hunted. I sought safe shelter and was brought here.”

“Who were you running from?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Scoffing, the woman gestures to the spot on the floor where Brittany cast her protection spell last night, tapping the table where Brittany’s things sit. “It _is_ my business when you bring it into my home.”

At that, Brittany sighs, reaching up to brush her hair back over her shoulder as she takes a deep breath and apologizes. “You’re right. For that, I am sorry. I wasn’t really thinking and just followed where I was being led to but, to be fair, when you’re running for your life, everything else becomes a bit of a blur. When I finally made it here, the only thing I could think of was casting that barrier and not dying.”

“Fair enough.”

“Speaking of which, how are you able to be inside my barrier? Why was the other one able to pass through?”

It’s the woman’s turn to sigh as she looks down at the floor, her dark hair shielding her face for a moment before she meets Brittany’s eyes once more. “I think maybe there are some things we both need to discuss with each other.”

“Could we maybe do it when I’m not tied up to the bed?”

Agreeing, the woman nods her head and waves her hand toward the binding, the cloth coming free seconds later. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Brittany stands, glancing back at the binding before looking at the woman, her eyebrows raised towards her hairline. “How did you do that? I thought, last night I thought…weren’t you…”

“Like I said, we should probably talk.”

Walking cautiously towards the table, Brittany’s stomach growls loudly as she spots the stew again, hunger outweighing everything as she points towards the bowl at the woman’s elbow. “Is it okay if we talk over some of that stew?”

“Yes, of course. Sit and I’ll bring you some.”

As the woman goes to move toward the fireplace, Brittany remains standing, blocking the woman’s way as she holds her hand out. With a small smile, Brittany meets the woman’s curious gaze, shrugging a little under the scrutiny. “I’m Brittany. Thank you for…well, thank you for letting me barge into your home last night and thank you for letting me stay here and for the meal. I’m sorry we sort of got off on the wrong foot earlier.”

The woman hesitates for a moment before reaching out to shake Brittany’s hand, her dark eyes serious as she answers Brittany. “I’m Santana. You’re welcome for the food. As for the rest, I think perhaps you should save your gratitude until after we talk. You may not thank me once we’re through.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The light of day brings with it revelations and an uneasy truce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Just wanted to say thanks to everyone that's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story so far. I really hope you enjoy staying on this ride as I post more chapters. This story is a bit out of my comfort level as far as content but I think that's part of the fun. At least, I keep telling myself that as I outline the story and pretend I'm not overwhelmed at telling the story that I see in my head. :-)
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)

Santana watches Brittany eat for a few minutes, her own spoon unmoving in the bowl of stew in front of her.  Watching as Brittany eyes the bread for the second time, Santana wordlessly rips off another piece and hands it to her, accepting the thank-you said through a mouthful of stew with a small smile.  Their discussion was mutually put on hold as Santana could barely get the bowl down in front of Brittany before she was reaching for the spoon, grateful sounds of appreciation falling from her lips with each spoonful.  The way Brittany’s eyes grew big as the bread was placed on the table broke a small layer of tension that had been sitting between them and lunch had progressed in an easy silence. 

Having been where Brittany is, body hollowed out from magic use and craving sustenance, Santana granted her the time to eat in peace, questions and explanations put to the side for now.  But she feels her pack pacing the edge of the forest, their thoughts pulling at her as they roam her land, anxiety turning her appetite away.  Needing a moment to think, she stands, pushing her bowl towards Brittany and gesturing for her to take her stew.  “Here.  It looks as if you could use another bowl.”

Wiping her mouth, Brittany sheepishly pulls the bowl closer, her stomach still feeling empty despite the food she already consumed.  Swallowing, she scratches at the side of her nose, suddenly feeling self-conscious as she looks down at the amount of food on her side of the table.  “I’m sorry.  I’m usually not so…I don’t know…hungry like this.  You must think I’m a pig.”

Smiling a little at that, Santana shakes her head, reaching across the table to put the bread in front of Brittany as well.  “Not at all.  I’ve experienced the same so I know how the hunger feels, like a deep well that never fills, no matter how much food you put in there.  You are welcome to everything on this table.”

“Thank you.”

Inclining her head as Brittany picks up her spoon, Santana steps to the other table and grabs the rabbit and a small knife, walking towards the door as Brittany follows her movements with her eyes.  “I’m going to prepare the rabbit.  Finish eating and then when you’re ready, come outside and we’ll talk.”

“But what about…”

“Your barrier will hold.”

With that, Santana steps outside and takes a deep breath, shutting the door quietly as she walks around to the back of the cabin, aware of at least three pairs of eyes that are watching her movements.  Putting the knife down on a high workbench, Santana secures the hind legs of the rabbit onto the hooks jutting out from the side.  As she begins to skin the rabbit, her mind wanders to the woman sitting inside the cabin behind her.

To have someone show up on her land under normal circumstances would be cause for worry, but to have a witch show up, fleeing from what was no doubt a pack of dark wolves, brings an unease to Santana that she hadn’t felt in quite a few months.  Connell had recovered what was left of Brittany’s pelt from the night before and even mostly destroyed, Santana could feel the magic that lingered there.  Pulling the rabbit skin free, Santana turns and hangs the small pelt from a rack hanging by the side of the back window of the cabin, catching a glimpse of Brittany’s blonde hair as she continues to eat at the small wooden table.

Frowning, Santana puts the rabbit on the block in front of her, butchering it with practiced ease as she wonders how and why Brittany was able to find her cabin despite the cloaking spell that Santana placed around her property.  She thought they’d be safe here, away from the worst of the fighting, biding their time until…she’s still not sure until what, really.  A trickle of shame runs into her thoughts at the notion that she’s hiding away from everything , somehow allowing the slaughter to continue unhindered even though she knows there’s not much she can do.  Looking up, she spots Connell’s light gray fur as he slowly emerges from the edge of the woods, no doubt drawn there by Santana’s troubled thoughts.  Letting out a deep breath, Santana sends him a small smile, holding his gaze until he turns and heads back on his patrol.

Gathering the rabbit into a wooden bowl, Santana squares her shoulders, resolve straightening her spine as she goes about cleaning the knife.  There may not be much she can do in this war, but she can, and will, take care of her pack.  These people that came to follow her, trusting her to protect them even if she was still learning how to lead them properly, are all she can worry about right now.  Placing the knife onto the table in front of her, Santana turns at the sound of footsteps approaching the back of the cabin, clenching her jaw once as she realizes she now does have one more thing to worry about.

“Thank you again for lunch, Santana.”  Brittany stops a few feet away from where Santana is standing, having regained enough of her strength after eating to sense the tension in Santana even from here.

“Do you feel better?”

“I do.”  Gesturing to the herbs that Santana is pulling from a large pouch dangling from the table, Brittany slowly walks over and meets Santana’s eyes.  “Do you want help with that?”

Santana’s instinct is to refuse, pride and stubbornness wanting her to be the one to take care of preparing dinner for tonight, but she recognizes Brittany’s offer for what it is.  A returning of the goodwill that Santana showed her last night and today and so she nods her head, stepping back and leaning against the back of the cabin, watching as Brittany starts to season the rabbit.  There are a few pouches, each containing different herbs, and Santana finds her curiosity peaked as she notices the ones that Brittany chooses and the ones she passes over.

“Stonebridge.”

Looking up from where she has been rubbing lark’s thistle and sage against one of the rabbit legs, Brittany cocks her head slightly at Santana’s statement.  “What of it?”

“That’s where you’re from, isn’t it?  Stonebridge.”

Grabbing another piece, Brittany smiles slightly and continues to season the rabbit.  “I am.  How did you know?”

“People from Stonebridge are the only ones that would use lark’s thistle for their rabbit.  You don’t find it too sweet?”

“That’s what the sage is for, to balance out the sweetness.  It’s a trick my mother taught me.”  Trailing off, Brittany looks away from Santana, concentrating on her task as Santana shuffles her boots against the dirt.

Recognizing the sadness that seemed to come over Brittany’s face as she spoke, Santana asks her next question softly, purposely watching Brittany’s hands instead of her face.  “Did something happen to her?”

Finishing the seasoning, Brittany cleans her hands and walks over to a tall barrel filled with dark soil, leaning back against it and keeping the table between her and Santana.  The gesture isn’t lost on Santana and so she waits quietly for Brittany to speak, giving Brittany the courtesy of meeting her blue eyes as she looks over at Santana.

“My mother and father, along with the rest of my coven, were killed about six months ago.”

There’s a hint of anger in Brittany’s voice as she looks at Santana and she knows without asking that it wasn’t an accident or a fire or a storm that brought them down, but the dark wolves and those witches that aligned with them. 

The wind picks up slightly, the scent of it carrying a promise of rain and both of their gazes are drawn west for a moment, the blue skies belying the storm that is brewing just over the horizon.  Looking back at Brittany, Santana asks the obvious question, her hands smoothing down the front of her shirt as she prepares herself for Brittany’s answer.  “How did you survive?”

Pacing away from the barrel, Brittany keeps her gaze focused on the sky, debating on whether to be honest with Santana.  While it’s true that Santana could have easily struck her down last night, or even again earlier in the day when she was bound to the bed, Brittany isn’t sure if those actions were a reprieve or an indication of trust between them.  Inhaling slowly, Brittany takes a chance and answers Santana, a quick prayer said that her instinct to trust won’t betray her.  “I was preparing for my Tashkasa.”

Pushing away from the wall, Santana keeps her eyes on the side of Brittany’s face, her voice measured as she responds to Brittany’s admission.  “You were high council of your coven?”

“Not yet.”

“The Tashkasa is a formality at best, Brittany.”

“Not to me it wasn’t.” Turning to face Santana, Brittany feels familiar anger and guilt drape itself over her shoulders.  “My parents thought the same as you, that two days in the woods to perform some ancient ritual was archaic and unneeded since my birthright made me high council.  But I was stubborn and wanted to prove myself, prove my worth to the coven, and so I left.  Two days in the woods with chants and herbs and offerings, all while my family and my coven were being slaughtered.  I completed the Tashkasa but to what end?  It was a foolish, childish choice.”

“To what end?  You lived.”

“And they died.”  Running her hands over her face, Brittany’s shoulders drop as she repeats the words softly.  “They died.  I returned from the woods, a little smug because I had completed the ritual, and was greeted by death.  My coven had managed to kill a few of the dark wolves and two of the witches that were with them with a third barely alive.  He had enough breath to laugh at me, mocking my pain with the last of his strength until I took that from him.”

A faraway rumble of thunder breaks the intensity of Brittany’s gaze and Santana swallows hard as Brittany looks back to the sky.  The energy around Brittany is sharp and Santana can feel the tingle of it along her skin, her own magic humming in her veins in response.  Forcing herself to relax once again against the cabin, Santana tucks her hands into her pockets, breathing through the heaviness of the magic in the air.  “What did you do next?”

“I gave those that could still be buried a proper burial and burned a ceremonial fire for the rest.  I gathered what I could and left to go to my sister in Briar’s Landing but it…I was too late there as well.”

“Brittany, I am so sorry.”

Meeting Santana’s eyes briefly, Brittany sees the sympathy in them and takes a small measure of comfort in it, nodding her head in gratitude at the offer of condolence.

“Where did you go after Briar’s Landing?”

“I wandered, mostly.  I didn’t know where to go, if I’m being honest.  After a few days, I thought maybe I’d head further south.  Supposedly the packs were thinner and more spread out there and I thought I could pass through, maybe find some survivors.”

“And did you?”

“Not for about a month.  That first month was hard.”  Running her hands over the daggers resting against each side of her waist, Brittany walks a little closer to Santana, leaning her hip against the wooden table in front of her.  “I had basic fighting skills but growing up I didn’t see the need to really work on them.  My magic was enough.  It had always been enough.  But that first month?  When food and water were scarce and the Sun was baking everything within its reach?  I learned quickly that my daggers could be my best friend when my magic was depleted and I had a dark wolf or dark witch to fight.  It wasn’t pretty but when it’s your life or theirs, being able to block with a proper technique isn’t as important as just being able to deflect fangs aimed at your neck.  After about a month or so, I finally came across a witch that wasn’t trying to kill me.  She was heading east to Rivers Run, to the last known coven in that area.”

“And you willingly went with her?  How could you trust her?”  The irony of Santana’s question isn’t lost on her as Brittany meets her eyes sharply and Santana has the good grace to blush.  Recognizing that not only was that trust warranted, as Brittany is standing there alive in front of Santana, but also that Brittany gave Santana that same trust, she softens her tone.  Rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms as the temperature dips slightly, the storm moving ever closer to them, Santana shrugs her shoulders.  “I just mean, how did you know she wasn’t with those trying to kill you?”

“She saved my life.  I had been distracted setting up my camp for the night and had allowed a small pack to flank me.  I barely heard the first howl before they were on me.  I managed to kill one but lost one of my daggers in the process and my magic was hardly there, my few days without food sapping most of my strength.  I think they thought I would be an easy victory, and they were right of course, except out of nowhere this woman comes charging into my camp, her sword almost as tall as she was and within minutes, all the dark wolves were slain.  She gave me food and helped me get my camp set up away from the attack and that’s when she told me about the Rivers Run coven.  Even if she hadn’t just saved my life, I would have gone with her.  At that point, I had no plans and no idea of what I was going to do. Following Siobhan seemed as good a plan as any.”

“You made it to Rivers Run then I take it?"

“We did.  It took us a couple of weeks to make it there but I’m grateful for the time spent traveling with her because she more than made up for my years of neglecting my fighting skills.  I was better with my magic and we would trade off on lessons as a way to pass the time.  Eventually we made it to Rivers Run and we found refuge with the coven there.”

Another rumble of thunder rolls across the sky and Santana straightens up, walking over to gather the bowl with the seasoned rabbit.  Swiping her hand across the top, she says a brief incantation that will preserve the meat until she’s ready to cook it later.  “I think this storm is moving faster than it looks if that thunder is any indication.  We should probably head inside.”

Falling into step with Brittany as they start to walk, Santana asks the one question that’s been on her mind since the previous night.  “Brittany, if you found the coven at Rivers Run, how is it you ended up here at my cabin last night?"

“The coven was working on a plan to try and stop the spread of the dark wolves.  They wanted to figure out a way to somehow make us stronger, make all the remaining witches stronger, so we could fight them and stop our kind from being destroyed.  But somehow we were found out, even with the protection spell we cast around the edges of the town, and we were attacked.  We all scattered and I fled into the woods with Siobhan and a few others but they managed to cut most of us down pretty quickly.  By nightfall, only Siobhan and I were left and somehow we got separated.  I knew the dark wolves were close so I cast a seeking spell, hoping to find safe shelter and it led me here to your cabin.”

Pausing at the door, Santana looks back at Brittany, watching as she shivers slightly against the wind.  “Do you think Siobhan made it?”

“I hope so.  I was going to try a locator spell but after last night, I don’t know that…”  Walking through the threshold as Santana opens the door, Brittany’s words trail off as she catches sight of a woman sitting near the center table, her black boots resting on its surface.  Her green tunic is tucked into a pair of fitted black pants and Brittany can just make out the markings of some kind of symbol sewn onto the bottom of one of her sleeves.  Her appraisal is brought up short at the tone of the woman’s voice as she looks at Brittany.

“Why is she still here?”

“Quinn, be nice.”  Detouring, Santana knocks Quinn’s feet from table, pointedly ignoring the glare sent her way as she heads over to put the rabbit by the fireplace.  “Brittany, this is Quinn.  You…uh…well, you met her earlier today.”

Recognizing the hazel eyes as the same eyes from the wolf that was at Santana’s door earlier, Brittany makes a wide berth as she goes to sit on a bench by the opposite window, the curl of Quinn’s smirk at her actions causing her to look away in embarrassment before she introduces herself.  “It’s nice to meet you, Quinn.”

“Is it?”

Santana deliberately passes between Brittany and Quinn as she goes to take a seat at the table, breaking their staring contest to look at Quinn, a silent command passing between them.  Sitting up a little straighter in her seat, Quinn mumbles a more proper greeting to Brittany before looking over at Santana.

“With all due respect, Santana, I think it’s a fair question.  Why is she still here?”  Glancing at Brittany, Quinn jerks her thumb over her shoulder, indicating the back of the cabin.  “I heard your stories and I _am_ sorry to hear about your family.  Truly, you have my sympathies for that.  But it just seems convenient that you’re the only one to ever escape and stay alive.”

“Quinn, you shouldn’t have been eavesdrop…”

“You should have put up a silence barrier if you didn’t want anyone to hear your conversation, Santana.  I just think that having her show up here out of the blue is odd and I don’t trust her.  If you won’t put this pack’s safety ahead of…”

Brittany hears the low growl come from Santana before her body language shifts and the change in Quinn is almost immediate.  Sitting up as the tension in the room grows, Brittany watches as Santana holds Quinn’s attention, the short haired woman eventually dropping her gaze, her body language every bit of deference to Santana.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have said that, not in that way.”

“No.  You shouldn’t have.”  Reaching out, Santana rests her hand lightly over Quinn’s on the table, holding it there until Quinn’s hazel eyes meet her gaze once more.  “But I appreciate your protectiveness.  For right now, you don’t have to trust her.  You just have to trust me.”

Santana knows that Brittany is watching them but she keeps looking at Quinn until she sees the small nod she was looking for, relaxing back into her chair as she watches Quinn do the same.  Seeking to lighten the mood, Santana smiles at Quinn, reaching up to pull her black hair into a ponytail as she nods her chin towards Quinn’s chair.  “Why are you here with your boots on my table?  The table where I eat my food, if you recall.”

Quinn flushes a bit at that, rolling her eyes in apology as she answers Santana.  “Connell thinks that Rachel should be returning in the next day or two, three days at best.”

“Is Rachel part of your pack?”

Brittany’s question draws Quinn’s attention quicker than Santana’s and Brittany patiently holds her glare, the unreadable expression on Quinn’s face in direct counterpoint to the tone of her voice.  “Rachel is none of your concern, stranger.”

“Quinn, it’s okay.”

Santana understands Quinn’s unease, the protectiveness Quinn feels for Rachel is apparent to everyone in their pack and more than likely apparent to anyone who would see them together.  Despite the way that Brittany burst into their lives last night, Santana has a very real sense that there isn’t malice in Brittany and that, while a threat due to her powerful magic, Brittany isn’t there to harm them.  That doesn’t mean, however, that Santana is willing to divulge all of her pack’s business.

“Rachel is part of my pack, yes.  She’s away on an errand for me right now.”

Quinn snorts out a sarcastic laugh at Santana’s choice of words but doesn’t comment any further, choosing instead to still stare at Brittany where she sits.

Wanting to remove herself from the tension in the room, Brittany stands up and walks towards Santana, the energy from the approaching storm pulling at her.  “Santana, I’m going to go outside and recharge for a little bit, if that’s okay.”

Understanding Brittany’s reason, as she feels the pull as well, Santana nods her head and stands, opening the door for Brittany and leaning against the doorframe as she watches Brittany walk towards the middle of the field in front of the cabin.

Easing her body down to the ground, Brittany sits comfortably facing west, calling forth a small touch of magic to chase the chill from the air around her body.  Taking a deep breath, she keeps her eyes open, welcoming the fragrant wind as it blows her blonde hair back over her shoulders, her hands coming to rest lightly against the top of her thighs.  With another calming breath, Brittany relaxes her body and quiets her mind, whispering the Calling of the Elements as she gathers the energy around her.  Her skin feels warm as power flows into her blood and bones, the flash of lightning bringing a smile to her face.  She gives thanks to the earth and the sky for the gift of her light magic, renewing her promise to do no harm except in the course of protecting herself, those she loves, and the innocents she comes across in her travels.  A booming clap of thunder ushers in colder air and even the arctic thunder storms that are native to this land are welcome as she finishes the Calling, Brittany’s strength restored as she lets out a slow breath.

Deciding to rest there for a moment longer, she can see the edge of Santana’s cabin out of the corner of her eye and she lets her thoughts wander.  She was truthful in her answer to Santana, that her seeking spell is what brought her here but what she can’t answer, even to herself, is why.  Why Santana was the safe shelter that pulled at her magic.  Why Santana, a witch among wolves in these dark times, was who the very essence of Brittany was drawn to when she was at her most vulnerable.  Knowing the answer will only reveal itself when it’s time, Brittany trains her sight back to the horizon, allowing herself a little more time alone and away from whatever is going on inside the cabin.

“Connell and Nicolas haven’t stopped pacing and watching since Brittany went out there.”

Quinn laughs as she sits back down at the table, reaching into a dark wooden bowl for a crisp green apple.  Biting into it, she directs her comment to Santana’s back as she had yet to turn away from the open doorway.  “Good for them.  They don’t trust her either.”

Before Santana could comment, Quinn continues speaking.  “I’m just saying, Santana.  I know what you said before but I want it known that I don’t trust her.”

“You don’t trust anyone.”

The silence that greets Santana’s words makes her cringe and she turns around, an apology coming easily as she sees the flash of hurt on Quinn’s face before she hides it.  “I didn’t mean that, Quinn.”

“It’s okay.”

Sitting across from Quinn, Santana ducks her head and catches Quinn’s eyes, making sure Quinn knows she’s serious as she apologizes again.  “It’s not okay and I’m sorry I said it.”

As Quinn shifts uncomfortably in her seat, apologies from Santana still taking getting used to, Santana decides to lighten the mood, at Quinn’s expense.  “Besides, I know you at least trust Rachel.”

The blush that follows Santana’s smirk dispels any of the tension from before and Santana laughs loudly as Quinn takes an intense interest in the apple in her hand.  Kicking her foot at Santana’s boot, Quinn finishes her bite of apple before resting her hand against the table, her voice taking on a serious tone once more.  “I trust you, Santana.  So tell me, what are you going to do about Brittany?  She’s a complete stranger and complete strangers on our land can never mean anything good.”

Shrugging, Santana tries to play off her plan as nonchalant, choosing to ignore the arch of Quinn’s eyebrow as she answers her.  “I’m going to let her have refuge here for a few days.  And then, I don’t know.  I guess she’ll continue on to wherever she wants to go to next.”

Tapping the edge of the apple against the table, Quinn doesn’t answer right away, letting the side of her that wants to answer the way she really wants to die a slow death against the way she knows she should speak to Santana.  Carefully, Quinn responds to Santana’s plan, her tone respectful even as she lays out the reasons for her concern.  “I’ll go along with whatever you want, of course, but I just think we…you should be careful.  No, just listen for one moment, okay?”

Swallowing down the urge to cut Quinn off, knowing that whatever she’s going to say will likely match the doubts that Santana keeps trying to ignore, Santana leans back in her chair and closes her mouth, silently giving Quinn permission to continue.

“All I’m saying is she might still be dangerous to you and to us.  Yes, she’s been fine so far but if what you said she did last night is true?  As weak and exhausted as she was, she cast a barrier spell that extended around the cabin and halfway to the edge of the forest, blocking not only the dark wolves but the _zchastiks_ that follow them?  That means she has great power and great strength and we just need to be careful.”

Chuckling a bit at the derogatory wolf term for dark witches, Santana concedes Quinn’s point and stands, heading back over to the open door to observe Brittany once more.  Laughing, Santana waves Quinn over, stepping out of the doorway as Quinn looks to where Santana is pointing.

At least a dozen mornleck butterflies flutter around Brittany, their bright blue wings and tell-tale red iridescent bodies seeming to dance around Brittany’s outstretched arms.  Quinn and Santana can hear Brittany giggling from across the field, watching as she gently waves them away while she stands up.  A helpless smile pulls at Santana’s mouth as she watches Brittany’s hands falling to her side in playful defeat, one of the mornlecks landing on the tip Brittany’s nose before flying off to join the rest. 

Turning her head, Santana looks at Quinn with a smirk.  “I think we’ll be okay.”

Quinn forces the smile she felt forming on her face to fade away, refusing to buy into the childish antics as easily as Santana.  At the look on Santana’s face, Quinn sighs away the brunt of the admonishment that was ready on her lips choosing instead to issue her warning gently, touching Santana’s shoulder before moving away.  “Just be careful.  Betrayal can come from anyone, even those we trust the most.”

Walking toward Santana, Brittany at least gets a curt wave as she calls out goodbye to Quinn who heads in the opposite direction.  “Where is Quinn off to?”

“She’s heading home.  I doubt she wants to get caught in the storm.”

Santana steps back and gestures for Brittany to enter the cabin ahead of her.  As she passes, Brittany’s shoulder brushes against Santana’s arm and they both stop, the charge between them almost palpable.  Stepping away from Santana, Brittany apologies, rubbing her shoulder where the skin still tingles.  “Ah, sorry about that.  After being so depleted, I think I took a little more energy than I needed.”

Covering the unexpected jolt it gave her, Santana shrugs it off, turning and shutting the door and letting out a quiet breath, the low hum of awareness forcing her to close her eyes briefly before facing Brittany once more.  A flash of light slices through the windows to illuminate the inside of the cabin, a long pull of crackling thunder following a few moments later as Brittany and Santana just watch each other.  With an absent wave of her hand, Santana ignites the lanterns placed around the interior of the cabin, smiling in gratitude as Brittany beats her to it and lights the wood in the fireplace.

Moving toward a pack resting near the bed, Santana gestures towards the back of the cabin where a finely crafted dresser and large stone barrel sit, the sides smooth and wide enough to fit a person sitting down inside of it.  “I’m going to head into the woods and gather some roots to go with dinner and bring the rabbit pelt into the shed before the rain comes.  I have some clean clothes in the bottom of that dresser and you’re welcome to wash up in that basin there before dinner.”

“Will anyone be joining us for dinner?”

Santana hears the question inside of the question and knows that after meeting Quinn, and hearing about Connell and Rachel, Brittany is curious about her pack.  Despite Quinn’s words of warning lingering in her mind, Santana takes the question at face value and ignores the fact that she’ll be alone with Brittany while a storm rages outside.  “No, just us.”

Nodding her head, Brittany pulls off the heavier shirt that was over her simple blue tunic, draping it evenly over the back of one of the chairs.  As Brittany sits down to remove her boots, Santana suddenly worries that Brittany will take her suggestion of a bath and a change of clothes to heart right there while Santana is still in the cabin.  Unwilling to think about why that causes of flush of warmth to her chest, Santana grabs the pack and hurries to leave, catching her boot on the edge of the bed and stumbling forward awkwardly. 

Reaching out, Brittany stands up and braces Santana’s shoulder, preventing her from falling.  Standing there barefoot, her blonde hair messy where it falls over her shoulders, Brittany looks less like a threat and more like a temptation and Santana quickly takes a step back.  Curious, Brittany smiles at Santana, resting back against the edge of the table.  “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.  I just didn’t realize you were going to strip naked while I was still in the cabin.”

“Strip nak…oh, I’m not going to need a change of clothes.  Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, of course.”  As Santana observes, Brittany holds both hands above her head, closing her eyes as a pale blue light cascades from her fingertips down to her toes, seeming to get absorbed into the fabric of her clothes before cutting off abruptly.  Running her fingers through her hair, the same blue light seems to wash across the delicate blonde strands before disappearing.  Brittany gestures to her clothes and her hair with a small flourish, her grin widening as Santana slowly smiles. “My cousin Emma taught me this spell.  She used to go on long hunting treks with my uncle and my other cousins and water wasn’t always available for them to bathe or clean their clothes.  Emma and I used it when we would sneak out at night to go swimming in the Dark Rose Lake to cover the sweet smell of the water.  It made sneaking back into my uncle’s farmhouse much easier when we didn’t have to explain why we smelled like roses and huntersberries.”

The soft look on Brittany’s face as she tells the story captivates Santana and for the first time, she finds herself looking at Brittany, really looking at her.  The feline curve of her eyes, the color of them calling to Santana’s mind the still blue waters of Dancing Sea, and the subtle pink of her lips even now curved still in a smile.  With the heavier shirt removed, Santana is able to see more clearly the shape of Brittany’s body, the subtle flair of hips apparent even in the loose material of her dun colored pants, the tunic speaking to dips and curves that have Santana suddenly clearing her throat. 

Tightening her hand on the pack, Santana clears her throat once more, wind starting to rattle the windows.  “That’s a nice spell and an even nicer memory.  Thank you for sharing it with me.”

Brittany was very aware of Santana’s scrutiny as she finished her story and she can feel the flush in her cheeks as she sees the look in Santana’s eyes.  She expects to feel uncomfortable by it but with a dawning realization, it occurs to her that she likes the way Santana is looking at her.  The nervous pulsing of Santana’s fingers on the ties of the pack she’s holding and the thumping of her own heart in her chest, pushes Brittany to break whatever moment they seem to be having and she stands up suddenly, moving away from Santana to where the seasoned rabbit is sitting.

“Do you want me to cook the rabbit while you’re out?”

Gritting her teeth in annoyance at herself over probably being caught staring, Santana takes a deep breath and strides towards the door, pulling it open a bit roughly before looking back to find Brittany watching her.  “Sure, that would be great.  I shouldn’t be but a little while.”

Holding Brittany’s unguarded gaze for a moment longer, Santana steps out and shuts the door, welcoming the slap of cold wind against her flushed skin as the storm moves ever closer.

 

* * *

 

Holding her mug out, Brittany accepts Santana’s offer of more wine, also accepting another compliment on the rabbit.  “Brittany, I’m afraid I owe you quite the apology.  When you were seasoning the rabbit earlier, I told myself that there was no way I would enjoy it covered in lark’s thistle.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m wondering if you’re going to eat the rest of what is on your plate.”

Smiling, Brittany spears the last of her vegetables with her fork before offering Santana the rest of her rabbit.  Biting into the sweet peppers, Brittany watches as Santana slides the rabbit onto her own plate, humming happily as she puts another piece into her mouth.

Swallowing, Santana takes a sip of wine, leaning back in her chair as the stretch in her belly lets her know she’s close to being too full.  “You said your mother taught you to cook?”

At Brittany’s nod, Santana eyes the remaining rabbit on her plate.  “Did she teach you to make other things?”

Brittany expected a pang of grief to follow Santana’s question but as the rain continued to pound against the outside of the cabin, Brittany realized that sharing another story with Santana, her belly full and warm with wine, filled her more with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. 

“Truth be told, my mother was a wretched cook.”

“Really?”

Laughing into her mug, Brittany nods her head, swallowing some more wine before matching Santana’s pose and leaning back in her chair.  “Yup.  She could make two things.  Rabbit and sweetcorn bread.”

“If she could make those things, why was she such a bad cook otherwise?”

“My father and I could never figure that one out, to be honest.  Luckily for the survival of our family, my father was a passable cook and as my sister and I grew older, we picked up some things along the way from our family and from our coven.  Between the three of us, we kept ourselves and our mother fed and happy.  But we could never make sweetcorn bread or rabbit quite like her.”

“Well, I can honestly say that if this isn’t as good as your mother’s, you’ve at least done her excellent justice.”

Raising her mug to meet Santana’s toast, Brittany touches the rim of her mug to Santana’s, accepting the compliment with a bashful smile.  Watching as Santana takes the last bite of rabbit, Brittany rests her elbows on the table and meets Santana’s eyes across the table.  “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yes.  What about your family?  Where are they?”

The change on Santana’s face happens so quickly that Brittany feels herself shrinking back a little in her chair, her hands dropping below the table to clasp together on her lap.  Slowly Santana swallows, the look in her eyes closed off as she glances at Brittany’s face before looking at the wine in her mug.  “I don’t want to talk about them.”

Brittany wants to stop herself from speaking but the wine has made her curiosity bolder and so the words are out of her mouth before she can think to change them.  “Why not?”

“I just don’t want to talk about them.”

“Oh, but it’s fine for me to talk about my family, is that it?”  For some reason, Santana’s abruptness to not share makes Brittany feel vulnerable and she can feel a sliver of anger pushing its way into her tone.

“It’s not that.  I’m glad you shared your stories with me but I just can’t…I don’t want to talk about my family with you.”

“Fine.  What will you talk about with me?”

The defensiveness in Brittany’s tone makes Santana want to knock her head against the table in frustration, knowing full well it’s her own fault for ruining what was actually a nice time between them.  “It’s not that…”

“Why don’t you start with telling me how Quinn was able to be a wolf in the middle of the day?”

“Brittany…”

“No.  Answer me that.  Or, even better, why don’t you tell me how you were a wolf last night?”

At Santana’s shocked expression, Brittany feels some of the rage over what she’s experienced over these past few months come bubbling up, the bonding she’d experienced with Santana over the course of the day washed away by her anger.  “Oh yes, I wasn’t all the way out when you were with me in the cabin.  I didn’t see you at first, of course, since I was more worried about not dying by your kind who were trying to kill me.  But your eyes are the same.  All your wolves’ eyes are the same when you’re in human form.  Even as a wolf Quinn’s eyes are the exact color and shape and it’s no different for you.”

Sitting up straighter, Brittany’s hands clench into fists in her lap, the silence coming from Santana doing nothing to deter Brittany’s tirade.  “So why don’t you tell me?  Tell me why it is, if you are what I think you are, that you haven’t killed me yet?  Hmmm?  Is this fun for you?  Well I’m telling you right now, you can try to kill me but I’m more powerful than you think and I won’t let you just…”

“Enough!”  Slamming her hand on the table, Santana stops Brittany’s words, her empty mug teetering before rolling off the table to clatter to the floor, neither Brittany nor Santana even blinking at the sound.  “It’s true.  Not that part about killing you.  But what you thought you saw last night, it’s true.”

“You’re a hybrid?”

Cringing at that word, Santana nods her head.

“How could you do that?”  Standing, Brittany feels anger swirl again inside of her, her fingers tingling despite the warning look in Santana’s eyes.  “Why would you voluntarily take the bite?  As a witch to then also become a dark wolf?  To become one of those evil vile creatures, knowing that they are out there right now destroying us and you decided…”

“You think it was my choice?”  Yelling, Santana stands as well, her chair scraping harshly across the floor before tipping over.  Pulling roughly at the leather laces at the front of her shirt, Santana exposes her shoulder, the scars from the bite marks still bright red as if the injury had occurred only recently.  “I was stripped of my clothes and tied down, held down as I was bitten, the change happening while a roomful of people watched me and laughed.  We weren’t given a choice.”

“We?”

Breathing heavily, Santana turns away at Brittany’s softly spoken question, using the few moments to right the chair behind her to try and gather her thoughts.  “It doesn’t matter.  Not every hybrid became so by choice, Brittany.  There _are_ hybrids out there that did choose to become what they are but for most us, we weren’t given a choice.”

“But why would those others do that?  Don’t they see what the wolves are doing to us?  How could they join in that?”

“Some would rather survive and live in whatever way they can then remain who they are and die because of it.  The rest of us had our free will stripped away and believe me when I tell you, we fought every fucking second.”

Frowning, Brittany feels her heart breaking for what Santana and some of the other hybrids must have gone through, but even feeling that, she just can’t accept the fact that Santana is here, seemingly away from being under the control of the dark wolves.  Not only that, but that she has a pack that is loyal to Santana and is not rushing to rip Brittany’s throat open.  “I don’t understand.  Hybrids are the most feared, next to the dark coven and…and…”

“I know.”

“How are you here?  There’s no way they would just let you go.”

“They didn’t.”

“Then how…”

A harsh gust of wind rattles the windows, the front door creaking before flying open, rain slashing onto the floor as they both run over to the door.  Slamming it shut, Santana slides the wooden latch down into place, cursing her carelessness in not doing it when she returned from the woods earlier.  Leaning back against the door, Santana looks over to where Brittany is standing just a couple of feet away, the front of her clothes damp from the rain.  Her blue eyes are wide and Santana senses the concern in them right away and despite the discussion that just happened, Santana seeks to reassure Brittany.  “We’re fine here, I promise.  I reinforced your barrier earlier while I was out, not that it needed much.  I just forgot to latch the door when I came back, that’s all.  Quinn’s been on me for weeks to fix the door so that wouldn’t happen.  It seems as if she was right.”

“She might have been right about a few things, Santana.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe I should just leave.  If what you say is true, then the last thing you need is for me to be here.  What if the ones that were hunting me come back here?”

“They won’t.”

“You can’t know that.”

Walking past Brittany, Santana heads back to the table, picking the mug up off the floor and gathering the rest of the dishes before dropping them into one of the water buckets next to the fireplace.  Taking a seat at the table once more, Santana waits for Brittany to join her there before speaking again.  “I can know that.  There is a cloaking spell in place around my land.  It protects my cabin as well as the cabins where Quinn and the others stay.  To anyone looking, this would just look like an abandoned field.”

“But I saw your cabin.  When I came through the forest, I saw your cabin.  How is that possible?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe because you’re high council but I really don’t know.  All I know is that the cloaking spell holds, especially for dark wolves and the like.”

Brittany notices that Santana’s shoulders are slumped as she speaks and she feels guilty for forcing Santana to admit the truth about being a hybrid.  She still thinks it’s something she should know but the way she brought it out of Santana makes Brittany feel bad.  Running her fingers through her hair, Brittany leans forward and rests her elbows against the table, meeting Santana’s weary gaze.  “It seems as if my questions only created more questions and more headaches for you, Santana.  I’m sorry for what I said before and if you give me just a few minutes, I’ll gather my things and leave.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“I probably shouldn’t stay.”

Sighing lightly at the regret she hears in Brittany’s voice, Santana relaxes her posture, scrubbing her hands over her face before looking at Brittany again.  “No, it’s fine.  First of all, I couldn’t in good conscience send you out into a storm like this and second of all, it’s my burden to bear.  Not yours.  I’m sorry I reacted the way that I did.”

“No, what happened to you was horrible.  Knowing that this is being done, that it was done to you…how could you not have the reaction you had to my question?  I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did about it but I’m glad that you told me.  What happens now?”

Looking at Brittany for a long moment, Santana reaches up and pulls the band from her ponytail, scratching her fingers tiredly along her scalp for minute before standing up.  “Now, we go to sleep.  I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted.”

Standing slowly, Brittany pushes her chair against the table, picking up her heavy shirt as she faces Santana.  “I think we still have things we need to talk about it.”

“You’re right.  We do.  But they can keep until tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.”  Turning around, Brittany looks at the bed against the wall and then back at Santana before looking around the cabin to see where she might be sleeping. 

At the gesture, Santana gives Brittany a small smile, inclining her head towards the bed.  “You can have the bed.”

“Where will you sleep?”

Pointing up to the loft behind her, Santana turns to go but is stopped by Brittany’s gentle grasp on her elbow.  “I can’t let you do that.  I feel bad kicking you out of your own bed for the second night in a row.”

Looking down to where Brittany’s fingers are wrapped around her arm, Santana feels the same tingle she felt when Brittany brushed by her earlier and controls the urge to pull her arm away.  “It’s fine.  The loft is pretty comfortable, I promise.”

“Are you sure?”

Santana pats Brittany’s hand, forcibly pushing away the sensation of soft skin beneath her fingers, and nods her head.  “Yeah, I’m sure.  Get some sleep and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Brittany isn’t sure why she holds onto Santana’s arm for a moment longer but she does.  She can feel the subtle shifting of muscle as Santana politely tries to move her arm and the warmth of her skin through her shirt makes Brittany’s fingers feel like they are tingling.  Another shift slightly pulls Santana’s shirt and Brittany catches a glimpse of the edge of the scar and finally releases Santana’s arm, looking down guiltily before backing up towards the bed.  “Okay, Santana.  Goodnight, and thank you again for last night and for today.”

With another small smile, Santana turns around and climbs the ladder to the loft, disappearing into the darkness at the top.  Within a few seconds the only lantern still lit is the one by the bed, the fireplace remaining at full blaze to chase the heat from the open room.

Tossing her other shirt onto the foot of the bed, Brittany climbs under the covers, smiling as the lantern next to her slow dims into darkness.  Settling on her side to face the fire, Brittany can feel that Santana is watching her from her position in the loft.  As the rain continues to splatter against the cabin, the sound slowly eases Brittany towards sleep and she relaxes against the soft mattress.  Habit has her saying a small protection spell and as an afterthought, she includes Santana.  Slowly drifting off into sleep, Brittany realizes that she doesn’t feel threatened with Santana there and watching, despite what she learned earlier.  As her eyes finally close, Brittany realizes that if she’s being truthful, she’s not quite sure what she’s feeling where Santana is concerned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Brittany and Santana seem to grow closer, Brittany tries to figure out where she stands with the rest of Santana's pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: A couple of people have asked about the time period for this story. All I can say is that it's taking place in the fantasy past. LOL I don't have an exact time period but it's not in the past few hundred years. (I'm definitely keeping it vague because it's easier to write it that way. :-D)
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

The sound of laughter ushers Brittany into wakefulness, the murmuring of voices outside the cabin prompting her to sit up from the bed and swing her legs over the side. Looking up towards the loft she notices that Santana is no longer there and that observation is confirmed when she sees Santana’s dark hair pass by the front window. Brittany takes a moment to straighten up the covers on the bed before wandering over to the water basin in the back of the cabin, choosing a more usual method to freshen up, as she listens to the ebb and flow of conversation outside. Passing by the table, Brittany sees an apple on a plate along with bread and a small bowl of what looks like huntersberries jam. As she looks towards the door, Brittany smiles at Santana's thoughtfulness, taking a minute to spread the jam onto the bread.

There’s a small part of her that feels a small moment of discomfort at the ease with which Santana was able to wake up and prepare breakfast in the cabin without waking Brittany. In her months of travel, Brittany had trained her body to wake at the smallest sound, every noise a potential threat. As she takes a bite of the sweetened bread, she’s not sure if she should feel relieved or worried that her body apparently felt comfortable enough to sleep through Santana’s movements.

The voices sound closer and before she can go to the door, it opens wide revealing a tall man, his head turned as he laughs over his shoulder. “Malek will be disappointed he missed out on breakfast, Santana.”

“Why do I get the feeling you might have forgotten to tell him? Brittany, good morning,” Santana’s eyes move from the man’s to find Brittany’s, the smile in them lingering as she notices the bread and jam in Brittany’s hand.

At Brittany’s name, the man stops and looks over at her, his body jostled forward as Quinn pushes past his shoulder. “What part of stopping in the doorway seemed like a good idea, Nicolas?”

Quinn meets Brittany’s eyes briefly before walking over to the table and picking up the apple on Brittany’s plate, gracefully sinking onto the seat behind her and taking a bite of the apple without another word.

Following Quinn through the door is another man, the light brown of his tunic seeming to reflect in his eyes which land on Brittany’s before sliding away, his bashful smile creasing his cheeks in two perfect dimples. Shutting the door behind him, he walks over and takes the seat next to Quinn, thanking her as she plucks another apple from the bowl on the table to hand to him.

The man called Nicolas continues to watch Brittany, his curious smile hidden beneath at least a week’s worth of scruff. Leaning back against the door, he crosses his arms across his chest, the outline of his muscles apparent as the material of his shirt pulls tight at the motion. Glancing over at Santana, he seems to wait for her to say something, his eyes bright with amusement as he looks back at Brittany. “So, you must be Brittany?”

“You really are a scholar, aren’t you?” Quinn’s annoyed voice finally prompts Santana into action and she heads over to where Brittany is standing.

“Nicolas, this is Brittany. Brittany, this is Nicolas and Connell.”

“And Quinn.”

Santana meets Quinn’s smirk with an eye roll, stepping back as Brittany walks over to shake Nicolas’ hand in greeting before doing the same to Connell, glaring at Quinn until she answers Brittany’s _good morning, Quinn_ with at least a cordial reply.

She’s not sure why but there’s a feeling that Santana has as she watches Brittany introduce herself to most of her pack. When they had arrived this morning, Santana was fully prepared to have breakfast with them before sending them on their way, this situation with Brittany being there tenuous at best. She could have easily stopped Nicolas from heading inside her cabin but she didn’t. There’s a flutter in her chest as Brittany sits down at the table, finishing her breakfast as Connell makes polite conversation with her. Having Brittany in the presence of her pack seems like an important shift for both of them and after their talk last night, Santana feels a small measure of relief over it.

“Quinn didn’t say that Brittany was that pretty.”

Looking up at Nicolas’s grin, Santana feels Quinn’s eyes fixed in her direction, no doubt hearing Nicolas’ observation. Trying to keep the irritation from her voice, Santana shrugs her shoulders, absently tugging on the laces at the bottom of her sleeves. “Does it matter?”

“Only to those of us with working eyes.”

The quick tug of jealousy startles Santana and she turns away from him, reaching up to rub at the back of her neck as she walks over to pour herself a glass of water.

Shaking her head when Santana offers her some as well, Brittany looks back across the table, mostly succeeding in ignoring Quinn in favor of speaking with Connell. Smiling at him, she finds his genuine niceness a welcome contrast to the suspicion she can still feel coming from the direction of the woman to her right. “Santana told me last night that you were the one that recovered my pelt from the forest. Thank you for that.”

Pushing his light blond hair out of his eyes, Connell blushes at Brittany’s smile, wiping a hand across his mouth self-consciously before responding. “Sure. I’m just sorry it was torn up so badly. It looked like a fine pelt though. Bear?”

“Black bear, yes.”

“Those aren’t so easy to come by recently. Where did you manage to get one?”

At Quinn’s question, Brittany turns in her chair, pushing her plate away as she rests her hands on top of the table. “A trader outside of Rivers Run.”

“Did he say where he was from?”

“I think so. It was…w-something? Willfeld or Winchester or…”

“Winterhaven?”

Connell’s wistful tone draw’s Brittany’s attention as the name rings a bell. “Yes, I think that was it. Winterhaven sounds right.”

She doesn’t miss the look that passes between Quinn and Connell, and it almost feels like she’s intruding on a private moment, so she looks away and catches Santana watching her over the rim of her glass. Holding her gaze, Brittany pointedly ignores the subtle brush of Quinn’s hand over Connell’s, the contact held for a moment before Quinn reaches for his apple core, tossing hers along with his into an open bin behind the table.

Nicolas’ heavy footfalls break the moment as he comes over to stand next to Connell, placing his palms on the table as he leans toward Brittany, cutting off the look between her and Santana. Politely, Brittany looks at him, his wavy hair falling slightly over his ear as he tilts his head with a grin. “You know, Brittany, your eyes are almost as pretty as mine.”

She can hear Quinn scoff next her and for the first time she finds herself wanting to join in with her, recognizing Nicolas’ heavy handed attempt at flirting. “I…thank you?”

Straightening quickly, he reaches back to rub a hand across his lower back, eyeing Santana as she heads back around the table towards the dresser in the back. Suddenly a howl sounds outside the cabin, the scrape of chairs following shortly as Connell and Quinn stand up and say a quick goodbye to Brittany, and head towards the front door. Nicolas reaches the door first and pulls it open for them, executing a half bow in Brittany’s direction before walking outside. Standing up as well, Brittany walks over to where Santana is digging through one of the drawers, tentatively touching her shoulder to get her attention as another howl follows the first one. “What’s going on?”

Santana’s dark hair is shielding her face and she’s grateful for it as she recognizes the sound of Malek’s second howl. Glancing toward the side window quickly, she notices the angle of the shadows on the floor and closes her eyes, gritting her teeth as she hears Quinn walk back into the cabin. Rising, Santana pulls a soft red tunic from the drawer, shutting it before turning away from Brittany to address Quinn. “I’ll be right there. Just give me a minute.”

Quinn looks at Brittany, her hazel eyes measuring in their gaze, before dipping her head and stepping outside to give Santana a moment. Handing Brittany the tunic, Santana avoids her eyes as she goes to the table to push the chairs back into the place. “I thought maybe you’d like to change your shirt since you’ve probably been in that one for a few days. I know your cleaning spell works well enough but I thought you might be wanting a fresh shirt.”

Running her hands over the soft material, Brittany catches a sense of Santana’s essence in the fabric, a residual effect from taking so much energy yesterday. With Santana’s back still to her, Brittany looks outside, making sure the others aren’t looking at her before quickly bringing the shirt to her nose, barely able to drop her arm as Santana turns around.

Lightly holding onto Santana’s forearm as she goes to walk by her, Brittany ignores the looks she can now feel from the group gathered outside waiting for Santana. “Santana, what’s going on? Where are you going?”

Santana can feel her cheeks heating up under Brittany’s scrutiny though she knows Brittany can’t understand Santana’s hesitancy to tell her. On a small sigh, Santana gently removes her arm from Brittany’s grasp, turning to face her so that Santana’s back is toward the front door. “It’s time for us to do a patrol and perform a perimeter check.”

“Oh. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No!” At Brittany’s raised eyebrows, Santana clears her throat awkwardly and continues in a more mild tone. “I mean, no thank you, Brittany. These patrols, we do them…we run them as…it’s easier if…”

“You do them as a pack. As wolves.”

Brittany can sense Santana’s discomfort and also her gratitude when she answers for her, but there is something in Santana’s reluctance to say the words out loud to Brittany that has her wanting to ask a dozen more questions. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get the time to ask as Quinn steps back inside the cabin and walks to Santana’s side.

“We really need to go.”

“Santana, come on. Malek is going to be intolerable at dinner if we don’t get out there now.” Nicolas’ voice appears at the doorway, the rough sound of his hand scratching at the side of his beard the only other sound in the room. Both Quinn and Santana turn around to look at him, his hand dropping to his side as he slowly takes a step back. “Fine. But I’m not going to be the one sitting next to him at dinner.”

As they turn back around, Santana rests her hand on Quinn’s shoulder, Brittany all but forgotten as they exchange a look that has Quinn’s face softening just a bit. Pushing her short hair out of her face, Quinn finishes the movement by touching Santana’s arm once before stepping away and breaking the contact to head back outside. “Just come outside soon, okay? Nicolas does have the right idea. The sooner we finish this up, the better.”

Waiting until Quinn is out of earshot, Brittany can’t help but voice one of her worries. “Do you think it’s safe to be out there so soon after I was attacked? I know you said that your cloaking spell hasn’t been compromised and the barrier is intact but do you think you risk going into those woods?”

Despite the concern from Brittany, Santana feels a bit of pride straighten her shoulders and she answers Brittany without hesitation. “We’ll be fine. Everything has been extended and enforced and I can’t allow your disruption in our lives to change how things are done around here. These patrols are necessary and we are strong enough to handle them, even with the trouble you brought with you.”

“No, you’re right. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” As Brittany turns around to place the tunic on the back of the chair, Santana drops her head back and looks at the ceiling, annoyance at herself for slapping Brittany back, causing her to take a step closer until Brittany looks at her again.

“I appreciate your concern, Brittany. Honestly I do. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful for it, it’s just…I haven’t been a pack leader very long and this routine, making us adhere to this routine, it helps. It helps with our protection, of course, but it also makes it easier for me to lead them.”

Santana isn’t sure where her admission came from and she covers the blush she feels on her cheeks by turning away under the pretense of fixing the shirt hanging over the chair, unable to explain the sudden feeling of shame over her words.

It’s Brittany’s touch on her hand that brings out of her self-reproach, looking up to find Brittany’s blue eyes calm and understanding as they look at her before looking outside over Santana’s shoulder. “Will you be gone long?”

Santana acknowledges Brittany’s chance to move on with a smile, stepping to the side and gesturing for Brittany to walk ahead of her. As they cross the threshold of the front door, Santana stops and looks towards the sky for a moment before answering Brittany, her words coming a little easier now. “There’s a freeze coming later this afternoon so we’ll try and be done well before then. We should only be gone a few hours at best. While we’re gone, you’re welcome to anything in the cabin. Will you be okay by yourself for a few hours?”

“Sure. Would you like me to prepare dinner for tonight while you’re out?”

Connell answers Brittany’s question, smiling widely as he points at Quinn. “Dinner is at Quinn’s tonight. It’s going to be great. Mashed sallow root, snap peas, seasoned rowol deer, beet soup, honey mead. My stomach is growling just thinking about it.”

“You just ate. How are you even still hungry?” Nicolas’ incredulous voice pulls a sheepish grin from Connell, his helpless shrug causing Brittany to smile.

“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, of course.” There’s a sincerity in Quinn’s tone that’s almost negated by the smug look on her face at being the one to offer her home to Brittany but Brittany accepts the offer gracefully, admitting to herself that the meal does sound pretty good.

“Could I bring dessert at least, Quinn?”

“Ooh, what kind of dessert?”

“You’re ridiculous, Connell. Let’s go.” Lightly gripping the back of Connell’s neck, Nicolas leads him away from the cabin and in the direction of the woods, laughing as Connell shoves at his side. As the shoving turns into a playful wrestling match, Quinn heads off after them at a slower pace, turning around to face Brittany. “Sure. Just don’t bring anything with walnuts. Connell is allergic to them.”

Before Brittany can respond, Quinn, Connell, and Nicolas shift, needing only a couple of seconds to change into wolf form. The change is so quick that Brittany can’t help the gasp that follows, her instinct having her retreat a few steps, the magic at her fingertips without thought.

“Brittany?”

With her heart racing, Brittany turns to look at Santana, the magic pulsing at her fingertips as Quinn paces closer to them, a warning growl in her throat. Holding her palm out to Quinn, Santana slowly moves around until she’s in the Brittany’s line of sight, her voice deliberately calm as she watches the blue of Brittany’s magic slowly wind its way across her forearms. “Easy, Brittany. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

She can hear the breath pushing from Brittany’s lungs and the growl behind her is getting deeper, the playful yips and yelps from Connell replaced by his and Nicolas’ breathing behind Quinn, their wrestling match forgotten in the tension of the moment. Realizing why Brittany is probably so afraid, Santana risks turning away from her for one second, meeting the eyes of her pack in turn before quietly urging them to back off. Nicolas and Connell are quick to follow with Quinn holding her growl a moment longer, her hazel eyes intense as they watch Brittany’s hands before meeting Santana’s eyes, reluctantly turning around to head towards the others.

“You’ve never seen the change before, have you?”

Brittany wants to relax her hands, some part of her recognizing that she’s not actually in any danger, but the deep-seated fear, and instinct for survival that ensured she was still around to see another day, has a solid grip on her heart and her mind. Licking her lips, she at least drops her hands to her side, the blue current reaching as far as her biceps now as a small burst of anxiety breaks through. “Never. The dark ones that hunted us were always already in wolf form when they attacked.”

“We’re not going to hurt you. I promise you, you’re safe. Look at me.”

Tearing her attention away from the pack pacing behind Santana, Brittany meets Santana’s brown eyes, seeking and finding the same reassurance she can hear in Santana’s voice. Sucking in a deep breath, Brittany keeps her focus on Santana, exhaling harshly as the magic continues to build, the muscles in her arms warming in anticipation of battle. Taking a chance, Santana steps closer to Brittany, ignoring Quinn’s anxious whine behind her. Santana holds her hands towards Brittany, palms up, as she continues to speak to her. “Brittany, you can trust me. Give me your hands.”

“No…no, you shouldn’t touch me. It’s too dangerous right now. I’m sorry, I’m trying but…”

“I won’t hurt you. It’s okay.”

Swallowing hard, Brittany shakily nods her head, fear pulling at her reason even as she slides her palms against Santana’s hands. Santana’s strength is apparent as her fingers slide up a little further and hold onto Brittany’s wrists, their eyes locked as Santana takes deep breaths, her body trembling as Brittany’s magic flows into her. The tendrils of magic around Brittany’s arms start to retreat, wisps of blue floating across Santana’s arms like fog. Without realizing it, they both step closer to each other, Santana’s hands glowing a muted purple as her own power starts to build, the red of it slipping over Brittany’s wrists. Brittany can feel her heart racing and everything falls away except for Santana’s face, her mouth parted slightly as she breathes out, Brittany’s exhalations just as stuttered as Santana’s. A few more seconds pass before Santana suddenly steps back, breaking the connection with a small sigh, the sound behind it pulling at something deep inside Brittany. Before she can question it, Santana is striding quickly into the cabin, emerging a moment later with two full glasses of water, handing one to Brittany without a word.

As Brittany finishes her water, she closes her eyes and realizes that while she can still feel the hum of power beneath her skin, the desperate buildup of magic is gone. She can’t quite place her finger on what has replaced it but it feels warm in her veins. Dragging her tongue across the back of her teeth, there is a hint of another taste there other than the water and as she looks over and witnesses Santana doing the same, she realizes that what she’s tasting is their shared magic.

A large black wolf appears at the edge of the forest, a scar running from top of its forehead down across its left eye before disappearing under its muzzle. Brittany watches as Connell trots off to greet the black wolf, Nicolas still standing the middle ground as Quinn remains close to Santana’s side. Taking the cup from Brittany, Santana puts them down at a small table leaning against the front of the cabin, exhaling loudly before approaching Brittany once more.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m better now. Thank you for that, Santana. I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to react that strongly.”

“I understand why you did now and I wish I would have thought to give you warning or something.”

Shaking her head, Brittany waves off Santana’s statement, shrugging her shoulders as she makes herself walk closer to where Quinn is pacing, testing herself as Quinn stops and stares at her. “You couldn’t have known and I don’t know that I would have thought to tell you, honestly.”

Santana looks over and meets Malek’s gaze, feeling the pull towards them as Nicolas turns away from the cabin and joins Connell in greeting Malek, leaving only Quinn next to Santana. She knows she has to go and while she’s relatively sure that Brittany is okay and will be okay while they are gone, there’s a strong part of her that is doesn’t want to shift in front of Brittany despite the annoyance she can sense coming from Quinn as she starts to pace again.

It’s not just that she doesn’t want to startle Brittany again, though she thinks that she’s probably slightly better prepared for it now. As Santana reaches up to absently brush her fingers against her shoulder, feeling the ridge of the scar that rests under her shirt, she knows that despite the months that she’s spent being a hybrid, she’s yet to completely acknowledge or embrace the wolf side that exists inside her now. It’s a sore point among her pack, especially with Quinn who has been a wolf since birth, but even knowing that her next words will no doubt have future repercussions, she pulls the mantel of alpha tighter around her consciousness and looks over at Quinn. “Go on ahead, Quinn. I’ll be there momentarily.”

Quinn doesn’t move and continues to look at Brittany, Brittany looking away only after Santana squares her body to Quinn more fully, her voice pitched a little lower as she repeats her request. Finally looking away, Quinn turns and runs to the rest of the pack, Malek lowering his head in greeting as he brushes against Quinn’s body.

“I have to go.”

Stepping forward until she’s side by side with Santana, both of them watch the pack as Connell playfully bites Nicolas’ hind leg, taking off into the woods as Nicolas chases him. “I’m okay now, I promise. You should go and do your patrol before it gets to be too late. But, before you go, I just had one question.”

“What is it?”

“I know you are what you are, a hybrid, but how it is that they can change in the middle of the day? How are they not bound by night to their wolf forms like the rest?”

Santana had been bracing herself for a hard question and she finds her shoulders relaxing as she realizes this is one aspect of her hybrid form that she doesn’t mind talking about. “After they came to join me, I performed a bonding spell and made them take the Oath of Echoes on the night of a full moon. The oath gives them the power to change at will, the change, in essence, an echo of their change at night. Their strength is still greatest at nightfall, and they are at their strongest on the night of a full moon, but this allows them the freedom during the day to be what they want, when they want. The bonding spell also bound that magic to me so that no other witch or warlock could take it away from them.”

Brittany glances at Santana’s face and sees the pride there and she hears it in her voice. Even only knowing Santana for these past couple of days, Brittany has a sense that this was something that Santana gave them as a gift, a granting of free will following a time where hers was taken from her. Pushing away the sudden inexplicable urge to touch Santana’s hand that’s resting so close to hers, Brittany settles for brushing her pinky against Santana’s before stepping away. “I think what you did for them was very kind, Santana. It was a gift.”

Uncomfortable at the praise, Santana clears her throat and briefly meets Brittany’s eyes. “Yeah, well, it was more of a selfish gesture really. Makes going on these patrols a lot easier when they can join me like this.”

Giving Santana her deflection, Brittany moves toward the cabin door and leans against the frame, jerking her chin in the direction of the forest where only Quinn remains as she waits for Santana. “You better head out there before Quinn poisons my food later tonight for keeping you this long.”

Laughing a little at that, Santana nods her head and starts to walk across the field. “Okay, I’m going. We’ll see you a little later.”

With a wave, Brittany heads inside and shuts the door, not even questioning her desire to head to the front window to continue watching Santana. Resting her elbow on the side of the frame, Brittany watches through the glass as Santana heads towards the forest, Quinn trotting forward to walk at her side. The rest of the pack emerges from the trees, greeting Santana as she raises her hand, each of them running their muzzles against her palm before falling into staggered formation behind her. Santana’s hand drops down to Quinn, stroking through the golden markings that run through her gray fur and Brittany knows that it’s Santana’s way of apologizing. As she continues to watch Santana walk with her pack, Brittany is suddenly struck with how beautiful Santana looks with her pack around her. There’s a grace in her movements and as a gust of wind blows Santana’s dark hair over her shoulder, Brittany’s breath fogs up the glass briefly on an exhale as Santana turns to find Brittany’s eyes through the window.

Santana felt Brittany’s eyes on her while she walked and as she approached the edge of the woods, she gave in to temptation and met Brittany’s gaze, the intense blue of them apparent even through the distance across the field. As she lets her pack wander ahead of her, Santana keeps looking at Brittany, allowing herself a private moment as she releases the reins on her power and lets it trickle into her veins, enjoying the essence that she knows is leftover from Brittany’s magic. She feels powerful, in a different way, like she’s taking Brittany with her on this patrol, and though the thought of why she’s even thinking of it that way causes her heart rate to pick up, Santana welcomes the sense of comfort it brings. Holding her gaze for a moment more, Santana turns and heads deeper into the woods, allowing the change to come once she knows she’s cleared Brittany’s sight.

At the window, Brittany holds her breath, the magic inside of her tingling a moment before a long howl pierces the air, with others soon joining it in chorus. As the sound fades away, Brittany turns away from the window and braces her back against the wall, her hand reaching up to press against her chest. Looking at the red tunic draped over the chair, Brittany gets a feeling that she doesn’t quite know how to explain. Despite the panic that seized her when Santana’s pack changed earlier, thinking of them now, out there protecting Santana’s land and, by extension protecting Brittany, gives Brittany an odd sense of belonging. With a smile, she steps forward to look around Santana’s kitchen area, wondering what kind of dessert to bring to dinner that night.

 

* * *

 

The smell of apple pie greets Santana a few hours later as she opens the door to her cabin but it’s the sight of Brittany that stops her in her tracks. Leaning over by the open window to check on one of the two pies resting on a cooling rack, the red tunic that Brittany had changed into is stretched tight across her backside and Santana feels her hand slip against the door as she clumsily tries to close it. Brittany had braided the sides of her hair into a single braid that fell across the top of her back where it rested against the rest of her blonde hair. With her body still warm from the patrol run, Santana slowly leans back against the front door as she closes it, hardly noticing as her shirt plasters itself to the sweat on her back. Licking her dry lips, Santana eyes the remnants of the ingredients Brittany used to make the two apple pies, their delicious smell bringing a smile to her face. “Those smell amazing.”

Grinning at Santana over her shoulder, Brittany response dies in her throat at the way Santana looks, the lantern by the door casting her features in a golden glow and picking up the hint of sweat around her hairline and down across her neck. Straightening up slowly, Brittany just stands there for a moment, the cloth in her hands forgotten as Santana steps away from the door and moves closer to the cooling pies.

“Apple, right? Apple and…wait, don’t tell me…you used some of the leftover huntersberries jam, too. Did I guess right? Brittany?”

At her name, Brittany blinks rapidly, realizing that she’d been standing there staring at Santana’s mouth while she was speaking. Turning away under the pretense of shifting the pies again on the rack, Brittany rolls her eyes before closing them. Fixing a smile on her face, Brittany takes a deep breath and turns around, pointing to the shelf behind where Santana was standing. “You guessed right, though I only used a little for some extra flavor. I hope that was okay? You had a few extra jars back there.”

“Of course. Either way, it was going to get eaten and I’d much prefer to have it in a pie than on boring bread.” Moving closer to smell the pies, Santana tries to control the shiver that passes through her as Brittany doesn’t move quickly enough, her breasts brushing against Santana’s arm before they both jump back from the contact.

Avoiding Santana’s eyes, Brittany heads over to the table, gathering the bowls and utensils she used for the pie, and bringing them over to the water bucket by the window, her voice surprising herself in its calm tone even as her heart continued to race under her shirt. “What time are we heading to Quinn’s for dinner? The pies only need a little bit longer to cool though if we have to leave soon, I could always enchant them to finish.”

Swiping her hand over her face while Brittany’s attention is diverted, Santana heads towards the back of the cabin to the dresser, opening one of the drawers and pulling out a simple black shirt, waving her hand over the water in the basin to heat it. “That might be a good idea. I just need to wash up and change real quick and it will only take us a few minutes to walk to Quinn’s cabin.”

“She’s close by?”

“They all are. There are three other cabins set behind this one.”

Turning to face Santana, Brittany can’t keep the surprised curiosity out of her voice as she walks to look out of the back window. “Really? I don’t see anything back there but more woods.”

Joining Brittany at the window, Santana murmurs a few words under her breath, reaching up to brush her hand across Brittany’s eyes before smiling at her. “Go ahead and look again.”

Looking back out the window, Brittany’s breath catches in her throat and she responds to Santana’s amused laugh with one of her own. Blocking her vision of the woods now are three cabins similar in size to Santana’s, the windows pale yellow from the lanterns no doubt hanging inside. Thin trails of wispy smoke stream out of one of the cabins and even from this distance, Brittany can make out movement behind the windows and figures that cabin must be Quinn’s. “You removed the cloaking spell?”

“Only for your eyes. If anyone else were to stumble their way through these woods, they would see what you saw…just the field and more trees.”

Smiling a little harder, Brittany side eyes her as she continues to look out of the window. “Any other hidden structures out there? Maybe you have some mystical creatures in a stable I can’t see.”

Laughing, Santana heads back toward the water basin and reaches onto one of the shelves by the corner, pulling down a small green bar of herbs compressed into a waxy ball, its aroma pleasing even from across the room. “There are only the cabins back there.”

“Oh.”

Looking at Brittany as she heads back across the cabin, Santana can’t help but tease her, hoping for another smile. “Though, Nicolas thought he saw a unicorn once.”

Understanding what Santana was trying to do, Brittany plays along as she starts to wash the dishes and utensils in the water bucket, looking around until she finds a similar waxy bar, this one red in color and smelling a little sweeter than the one that Santana has. “Did he? They say only innocents can see them and I get the feeling Nicolas might have been lying to you.”

Grinning at Santana’s bark of laughter, Brittany continues to clean the dishes, the splashing of water behind her causing her to look up, catching a glimpse of Santana’s reflection in the window in front of where Brittany is standing. Her hands keep moving, somehow managing to continue cleaning but her eyes are riveted on the glass, the glimpse of Santana’s naked back bringing Brittany’s heart rate up for the second time that night. Pretending to concentrate on the dishes, Brittany makes more noise than usual, hoping Santana will believe she is fully engaged in cleaning up and not currently enthralled by the subtle play of muscles along Santana’s back, her arms moving with practiced efficiency as she washes up. Santana’s dark hair was twisted into a messy bun and as she moves more and more strands start to fall, curls clinging to the damp skin of Santana’s shoulders.

Chancing a glance behind her, Brittany drops a plate into the water, the site of only the empty space of the cabin greeting her. Turning around quickly, Brittany’s cheeks flush as she realizes that Santana must have cast another small cloaking spell, one that allowed her to wash in private while Brittany finished cleaning. Facing forward quickly, Brittany feels guilty as she continues to look at the window, part of her wanting to warn Santana that her cloaking spell didn’t extend to reflections but another hidden part of her bit her bottom lip, trapping the polite words that she should say behind her teeth. Brittany reaches the final item to clean, a single plate that is no doubt the cleanest it’s ever been in its life as Brittany mindlessly circles her wet hand around the surface of the plate.

Guilt finally gets the better of her and Brittany looks down at her hands, hoping Santana will believe the flush of her cheeks is caused by the fire still blazing near her as she hears Santana’s footsteps approach her. “I think that plate is clean enough, no?”

With a sheepish smile, Brittany pulls the plate out of the water and rests it on top of the table with the others, glancing over Santana’s all black outfit as she sits at the table to brush her hair. Gold from the ivory handle flickers every time Santana moves her hand and Brittany is drawn to it as she dries her hands on a clean cloth. “That’s beautiful, Santana. Where did you get it?”

“I’ve had this for a very long time. It belonged to my family.”

Tensing a little at Santana’s sentence and remembering the absolute way that Santana shut down any questions about her family, Brittany doesn’t press her any further though her mouth tips up in a smile at Santana’s small foray into opening up to her. Stepping closer to Santana, she reaches forward toward the brush, holding her hand out. “Would you like me to brush your hair? I can braid it if you’d like.”

Santana doesn’t understand why this simple request and offer makes her feel like Brittany just offered to disrobe in front of her but she has to grip the handle of the brush a little harder before looking over her shoulder, her face doing a commendable job of looking calm. “Sure, that would be nice. But I’d prefer a ponytail, if that’s okay.”

Humming her agreement, Brittany takes the brush from Santana’s hand, both of them again ignoring the contact between them as Santana drops her hands to her lap. As Brittany starts to brush her hair, Santana relaxes against the back of the chair, closing her eyes and listening to the fire crackle in the fireplace and wind as it brushes through the trees outside the window. Even the slight chill in the air feels good as it breezes in from the open window, caressing Santana’s warm cheeks as she selfishly enjoys Brittany’s attention to her hair.

For her part, Brittany has to try to actively fight back making any noise as the dark silky strands pass through the brush, the damp ends releasing hints of the fragrance in the bar of herbs that Santana used when she cleaned up earlier. Testing herself, and maybe even Santana, Brittany brings her other hand up to help with brushing Santana’s hair, gathering her hair softly before running the brush through it. Realizing that in another minute she’s going to abandon the brush and just start using her hands, Brittany asks Santana for a band to hold her hair back, reaching down to take the one that Santana pulls from her pocket and handing her the brush to hold. Pulling Santana’s hair into a ponytail, Brittany efficiently wraps the band around it, stepping around Santana to look at her handy work. “All done.”

Patting her hands around her hair, Santana smiles at Brittany as she stands up, heading over to put the brush back on the dresser. “And a fine ponytail it is. Do you need to do anything else before we go to dinner?”

“No, I’m all set. Let me just grab the pies and we can leave.”

Waiting by the door, Santana once again watches Brittany as she grabs cloth to cover the pies, cocking her head slightly as she appreciates the look of Brittany in her red tunic. Waving her hand to bank the fire, Santana turns down all lanterns but one, opening the door as Brittany gets closer. With two pies in her hands, Brittany is a little awkward trying to walk by Santana in the doorway so she goes to move, laughing as Brittany moves in the same direction. They try to move again and laugh even harder as they find themselves occupying the same space. With a grin, Santana steps back and mimics Nicolas from earlier, bowing before guiding Brittany through door, following just behind her. Shutting the door, Santana holds her hand against the wood and releases a small amount of magic, listening for the satisfying thunk of the wood latch falling into place.

“Why do you worry about locking the door when there’s nobody that can even see this place?”

“I…you know, I don’t know. I guess old habits never really go away.”

Heading around the side of the cabin, Brittany takes a deep breath of the cooler air, listening to the sound of their boots moving through the low grass as they head towards Quinn’s cabin. As they get closer, the sound of raucous laughter reaches their ears and Santana shakes her head and smiles, slowing her steps as she looks over at Brittany. “I just want to warn you. They can be a little…much at mealtime. Especially if Quinn brewed some of her honey mead, and from the sounds of it, they’ve already sampled a good portion of it.”

Looking over at the cabin, more laughter spilling from one of the open windows, Brittany doesn’t feel the same nervousness she felt when they all walked into Santana’s cabin that morning. With the exception of Quinn who Brittany isn’t sure she’ll ever really win over, Nicolas and Connell seem to be okay with her and as she’d yet to meet Malek, she optimistically chose to put him the same category as Nicolas and Connell. If Brittany’s being honest, she knows that most of the reason why she feels at ease tonight has to do with the woman walking next to her. As she’s spent more time with her, there is something that is drawing Brittany closer to her, a pull that she feels whenever she’s around Santana. She’s still reeling a little from the feel of Santana’s magic combining with hers earlier and she welcomes the little rush of excitement that memory brings. Deciding to just relax and be in the moment with Santana and her pack, Brittany picks up the pace a little bit. Returning Santana’s smile, Brittany’s blue eyes seem lighter in the moonlight as she leans a little closer to her. “Well, maybe we should go catch up to them.”

 

* * *

 

“So Connell goes, but I thought all people from Fair Oaks have red beards?”

The dinner table rattles as Nicolas slaps his hand down, raucous laughter erupting around the table as Connell good-naturedly sends a handful of snap peas in Nicolas’ direction. Brittany feels herself caught up in their laughter, not quite understanding the joke but laughing nonetheless at the infectious sound of Santana and the others teasing each other. As Connell tries to deflect the attention on him by launching into a story that Brittany assumes is designed to embarrass Nicolas, Brittany takes a moment to simply watch the people around the table.

Her optimistic hope that Malek would give her a warm reception is still up in the air. While he greeted her politely enough, he mostly stayed quiet through dinner, choosing instead to observe rather than participate in the conversation, though his laughter did join the others at Nicolas’ last story. Picking up her mug, Brittany takes a sip of Quinn’s decidedly delicious honey mead and watches Malek turn to speak to Santana who is sitting across from her. The scar that she observed earlier when he was in wolf form is paler against his skin now but is no less apparent, running across his eye before ending just below the corner of his mouth. His eyes are dark, almost black, and they match his dark hair and Brittany recognizes the _brykmas_ he has it weaved into, the warrior’s braid identifying him as one of the Hawkeye tribe of the southern border, even if his darker complexion hadn’t already given him away. His large hands remain folded together on the table as he answers whatever question Santana just asked him and Brittany can see other smaller scars that mark his skin, one or two of them continuing up across his muscled forearms before disappearing under the rolled up sleeves of his dark blue shirt.

Even if she didn’t know what the _brykmas_ was, Brittany would recognize the warrior in the man across from her, his tribe one of the most feared since this war started. The Hawkeye wolves were known for being the most vicious upon taking the Dark Oath and Brittany finds her curiosity about how he ended up in Santana’s pack only barely outweighed by the fear of what Malek is capable of doing. Feeling her stare, Malek turns his head and meets Brittany’s eyes, his gaze steady as he sits through her appraisal. Brittany can see Santana turn to look at Brittany and remembering Santana’s calming words about her pack earlier that day, Brittany forces herself to relax, giving Malek a smile before looking back down at her plate to continue eating.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Connell leaning back in his chair and burping loudly, all eyes turning to him as he rubs his belly. Reaching over, Quinn pinches his side, absorbing the good natured slap against her hand as he sits up straighter. “I know you were raised better than that, Connell.”

“Sorry, Quinn. But dinner was really good and Brittany, your apple pie was delicious. I’m just trying to make room for more.”

“Boy, I swear you have a bottomless pit instead of a stomach.” Malek’s observation makes everyone laugh and Brittany catches Santana smiling at her as she puts another forkful of apple pie in her mouth.

At Brittany’s side, Nicolas bumps her lightly with his elbow, his grin fading slightly as Quinn and Santana watch him from across the table. “What? I was just going to say that Connell had a point. Brittany’s pie is delicious.”

“Nicolas, I swear to...”

Santana’s chastising remark is stopped by the front door of Quinn’s cabin banging open against the wall, a woman with long brown hair bursting inside before falling to one knee, bracing her hand on the floor as her breath races in and out.

“Rachel!”

Quinn rushes to Rachel’s side, helping her stand up as she guides her onto one of the chairs, calling out for someone to get some water. Connell is at her side in seconds, his hand tightly gripped in Rachel’s as Quinn kneels beside them, Rachel’s other hand held in hers. Standing, Brittany backs away from the table as Malek moves to the front door without hesitation, his body tight with tension as he looks out across the field. Nicolas appears at Rachel’s side with a mug of water and Quinn urges her to take it, rising to face Santana as she approaches but keeping her hand resting on top of Rachel’s shoulder.

“Rachel, what happened?” Santana kneels down to look at Rachel, looking her over for injury as Quinn stands behind Rachel’s chair, gently touching Connell’s hand as he reaches up to brush Rachel’s hair over her shoulder. Quinn meets Malek’s eyes and as Brittany watches, he nods once before taking off, already in wolf form before he’s more than a few feet outside the cabin. As Santana gives Rachel a moment to finish her water, Quinn looks over her shoulder where Nicolas is pacing, gesturing towards the front door. “Go with Malek. Make sure everything is okay.”

Touching Connell’s shoulder as he passes, Nicolas barely gives Brittany another look as he shifts and takes off after Malek, Brittany quietly walking to go and close the front the door. Remaining away from the group gathered around Rachel, Brittany feels the tension in the room and sees it reflected in the tightness of Santana’s jaw as Rachel finally looks at her.

“Santana, I’m so sorry. I thought I could get there quick enough but I took a spill crossing a river and twisted my knee. It only set me back a day and I thought I could make up some time but...”

“You’re hurt? Let me see.” Moving aside as Quinn kneels once more next to Rachel, Connell watches as Quinn runs her hands across Rachel’s legs, stopping as Santana reaches out to cover her hand, stilling Quinn’s nervous motion.

Light brown eyes find Quinn’s as Rachel shakes her head, her voice a little softer as shifts slightly in her chair. “I’m okay, Quinn. I promise. It was just a little sprain, that’s all.”

“Which leg?”

“Santana, I said I’m fine, really.”

“And I said which leg.” Santana looks at Rachel for a moment, holding her gaze until Rachel points to her left leg, looking down at the floor as Quinn stands to pace the length of the dining table. Holding her hands against Rachel’s leg, Santana closes her eyes, her hands turning a light red as she moves them over the injured area. A small whimper escapes Santana’s lips and Brittany finds herself taking a small step forward, realizing that Santana is taking the pain from the injury into herself. Quinn realizes the same thing and swipes a mug of honey mead from the table on her next pass, downing the rest in one swallow before slamming it lightly onto the table.

“You _were_ hurt.”

Opening her eyes, Santana shifts her weight to look over at Quinn, softening her gaze as she notices Quinn’s clenched jaw. “She’s fine now. Aren’t you, Rachel?”

“It’s better now, I promise. Thank you, Santana.”

Standing up as Connell moves again to stand near Rachel, Santana leans back against the table, and curls her hands over the edge of the wood in a tight grip. “Tell us what happened.”

“No.”

“Quinn…”

“No. Not while she’s here.”

Noticing Brittany for the first time, Rachel looks over and despite the situation, sends her a warm smile and a small wave. “Hi, I’m Rachel.”

Ignoring Quinn’s eyeroll, Brittany moves a little closer, and returns Rachel’s smile. “I’m Brittany.”

Drawing Rachel’s attention back to herself, Santana, repeats her question, pinning Quinn with a glare to warn her against another interruption. “What happened?”

Glancing over at Quinn in apology, Rachel sits up and looks at Santana, her hands gripped tightly in her lap as she gives Santana the details. “They were gone by the time I got there. I could smell the smoke a few miles away but I’d hoped…I don’t know…I told myself it couldn’t be what it was but when I got there, everything was burned to the ground. Santana, there was nothing left. Even the livestock had been killed.”

“Where?” Brittany can’t help but ask the question, something inside of her telling her that the answer will not be a good one.

Rachel looks at Santana first but then answers Brittany. “Willowcrest.”

Sinking onto one of the empty chairs, Brittany feels her stomach drop as she recognizes the name as home to one of the more powerful covens. Brittany had never traveled there but she’d purchased spell books and herbs from their traders when they would pass through Stonebridge during the summer solstice. The power of the witches and warlocks in Willowcrest was well known, and if the town had been destroyed like Rachel claimed, then those there were either killed or taken. Or worse, they had joined with the dark wolves. Her heart twists at the thought and wearily, she rubs her hands over her face. “Another one. Another coven gone. It’s never going to end, is it?”

The despair in Brittany’s voice pulls at Santana but her obligation to her pack has to come first so she ruthlessly pushes down the urge to go to Brittany and comfort her, ignoring her own pang of grief over the loss of the Willowcrest coven. Looking back at Rachel, Santana takes the empty mug from her and puts it on the table. “Were you able to tell which pack had been there?”

Quinn stops her pacing and approaches Santana, her voice low even though in the silence of the cabin Brittany can clearly hear it. “Santana, no. This concerns us, not her. We shouldn’t talk about this while she’s here.”

Rachel sits up at Quinn’s words, suddenly realizing that Brittany isn’t a recent addition to their pack like she had first believed. Looking at Quinn, Rachel directs her question to Santana, meeting her eyes a moment later. “Who is she?”

Sighing, Santana pushes away from the table, recognizing that pack business should probably not be discussed in front of Brittany but feeling an uncomfortable pull of hurt at cutting Brittany off. The connection she feels for Brittany isn’t something she wants to easily dismiss, but she has to agree with Quinn that for now at least, this discussion is better had between them.

Brittany sees the look on Santana’s face, the tension in the room apparent as they look at her, so she relaxes her stance, understanding that even while it seems like Santana doesn’t want to make her leave, it’s the best thing to do right now. “It’s okay, Santana. Quinn is right. I’ll head back to your cabin and just wait for you there.”

Santana hopes the gratitude she feels at Brittany making the decision easier is conveyed by the small smile she sends her way before turning back to speak with Connell. “Connell, go with her and make sure she gets there okay.”

“But Santana, I don’t want to leave Rachel, and Malek and Nicolas are out there and I’m sure Brittany will be just fine.”

“Connell.”

The commanding tone slumps his shoulders and he reluctantly leaves Rachel’s side, stopping as Santana touches his arm briefly. “Thank you for doing this. I know it seems silly but I’ll feel better. I doubt Rachel was followed but…”

“I wasn’t. I know how to cover my tracks, Santana.”

Ignoring Rachel’s words, Santana holds eye contact with Connell as she finishes speaking. “It’s important that we all take care of each other and this also includes Brittany right now. Okay?”

Nodding his head, Connell stands a little straighter, choosing to accept Santana’s command as a favor and feeling better because of it. Opening the door for Brittany, he steps back and waits for her to head out, glancing between Brittany and Santana as they hold eye contact before Brittany turns and walks out of the door. Shutting the door quietly behind him, Connell escorts Brittany back to Santana’s cabin.

 

* * *

 

“Santana, you shouldn’t have to explain your commands to him. He should just obey them.”

“Hey!”

Quinn’s face softens at Rachel’s exclamation, running her fingers through her short hair with a heavy breath before replying. “You know what I’m trying to say. I know he’s your twin but he needs to respect his alpha when she tells him to do something.”

“He’s just worried about me, that’s all.”

“I know, Rachel. But keeping order is everything during a time like this and he should know that. Look, I’ll talk to him when he gets back, okay?”

Reaching out, Rachel runs her hand briefly along Quinn’s side to acknowledge her words, looking over and noticing the dinner table for the first time. Santana faces them and sees the direction of Rachel’s gaze, instructing Quinn to make Rachel a plate as she takes a seat next to her. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Two days ago. I wanted to get back here as fast as possible and with my leg, even as a wolf, I didn’t cover as much ground as I would have liked so I just didn’t think to stop to eat.”

Putting the food down in front of Rachel, Quinn makes a disapproving noise, pouring Rachel a mug of mead as she sits down next to her. Even though it goes against the urgency she can feel bouncing around her body, she gives Rachel a few minutes to eat, focusing her nervous energy on clearing the rest the rest of table before taking a seat next to Rachel as well.

“That’s the second one in as many months, not including Brittany’s.”

Letting Rachel continue to eat, Quinn answers Santana’s statement, her eyes hard as she flexes her hand on top of the table. “Do you think they know we’re here?”

“They couldn’t. This place is as far away from everything as possible, mostly, and my cloaking spell holds. I know it does.”

Leaning back in her seat, Quinn fixes Santana with an incredulous look, her eyebrow rising as she wipes a crumb from the table. “Except for Brittany. Who not only brought a pack of those _grustneks_ here but also, somehow, was able to run right to your doorstep and through the door.”

Swallowing the last bite of her food, Rachel wipes her mouth, looking between Santana and Quinn before speaking. “Who _is_ Brittany?”

“A complication.”

“Quinn.”

“It’s true and you know it. Having her here now, with everything that’s been going on, it just doesn’t feel right.”

“She’s not a threat.”

“You don’t know tha…”

“She’s not.”

“Okay, fine. She’s not a threat. That doesn’t mean that she can’t bring a threat to us. He’s threatened to hunt down and destroy all witches and warlocks. _All of them_ and that _will_ include Brittany. How long before they cast a dark seeking spell and find her? Or find you?”

“I’ve protected us this long and I’ll keep protecting us.” Santana can’t help the edge that creeps into her voice and she leans closer to the table, her body language conveying the same point that Quinn made to Rachel earlier about Connell. Holding Quinn’s gaze, Santana doesn’t look away, even when Quinn finally breaks eye contact, her shoulders rounding just a little.

“I know you will, Santana. I just think that pretty soon, it may not be enough.”

The truth of Quinn’s words sit heavy in Santana’s mind and she welcomes the sound of the door opening behind them, turning around just as Connell walks back in with Malek and Nicolas. As the other two head over to get some water, Connell approaches the table, pausing next to Santana. “She’s all settled at your place and wanted me to tell you that she’ll be waiting for you.”

Rising from her seat, Santana gives Connell a smile, genuinely thanking him before moving aside so he could take the seat next to Rachel. Giving them some privacy, she walks over to where Malek and Nicolas are standing, catching the tail end of their conversation.

“…it could have been a print but I can’t be sure.”

“What did you find?”

Facing Santana, Malek holds his hands out to indicate a few inches of space. “We found what could possibly be a print, bigger than Rachel’s, near the eastern edge of your land but it could have been one of us.”

“It didn’t smell like us.”

“A stray then. It was only the single print and there wasn’t enough underbrush to hide others. I can’t say for certain whether Rachel was followed, but as there weren’t any tracks but hers any closer to here, I don’t believe she was.”

Letting out a breath, Santana moves toward the front of the cabin, the eyes of her pack on her as she pauses by the door. “All of you get some rest. We’ll have a second patrol tomorrow, just to be sure.”

A quick look at Quinn and Santana amends her statement, squaring her shoulders as she speaks. “I’m also convening a Dacrem tomorrow night. We’ll start at sundown.”

Walking outside, Santana shuts the door, her hand lingering on the handle for a moment at the thought of holding a sacred pack meeting, only the third one she’s ever had to call. She knows it’s the right thing to do, but as she heads back toward her cabin, Santana feels the burden of being the alpha scratching its nails across her thoughts, the constant worry that she’ll be enough of a leader like salt in the wounds.

 

* * *

 

Opening the door quietly, Santana almost hopes to find Brittany asleep, her foolish notion easily discarded as she sees Brittany turn away from the window and approach her.

Brittany has a hundred questions for Santana, about Rachel, and the coven, and most importantly, why Santana had even sent out one of her pack to Willowcrest in the first place, but the look on Santana’s face stifles all of them. Clearing her throat gently, Brittany moves a little closer to Santana, catching her attention as Santana finishes closing the door. “Are you in pain?”

“What?”

“The spell you performed on Rachel, I know it hurt you. Are you in pain still?”

Brittany’s concern, despite everything else that just happened at Quinn’s cabin, soothes Santana and she’s able to give Brittany a brief smile. “I’m not, but thank you for asking. How are you?”

Moving back as Santana walks past her, Brittany goes to the shelf by the table and grabs a clean cloth, watching as Santana dips her hands into the water basin and runs the water over her face. Handing Santana the cloth, Brittany walks over to the bed and sits down, removing her knee-high boots as Santana leans back against the ladder leading to the loft, tossing the cloth onto a shelf behind her. Placing her second boot down next to the bed, Brittany rests her elbows on her knees, trying to figure out a way to answer Santana honestly. “I don’t know. I’m angry and hurt and confused. And tired. I’m so tired, Santana. I barely remember anything before this stupid fucking war and it feels like nothing will ever change.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I had more to offer you than that but I don’t.”

“Will you tell me why you sent Rachel to Willowcrest? If you’re so worried about being found out, why would you risk sending someone away from where they are protected?”

Reaching up, Santana grabs onto one of the rungs of the ladder above her head, stretching the muscles in her back as more weariness starts to set in. Her instinct is to tell Brittany everything, a growing part of her no longer wanting to question why she feels like trusting Brittany, but there’s something stopping her. As she prepares to answer Brittany the best way she can, Santana makes herself a promise that after the Dacrem tomorrow night, she’ll talk to Brittany, really talk to her.

“It’s just another way for us to patrol. I like keeping tabs on the covens near us as a way of making sure that these lands haven’t been compromised.”

“And have they?”

“No.”

“But Willowcrest was destroyed. And that’s what, only a week’s trek from here? Maybe a little shorter by horseback or, you know, when you’re a wolf. That doesn’t give you cause for concern?”

Santana bites back the _yes_ that’s on the tip of her tongue, the real reasons pushing down from her brain, but instead she drops her arms down to her side with a sigh. “How can I answer that, Brittany? If I say no, that makes me callous. But if I say yes, then I’m admitting that I’m not doing my job of protecting us. Of course it gives me concern because of the lives lost but I know that we are safe here.”

“For now.”

“Brittany…”

“No, it’s fine, Santana. I’m just…it’s a lot to take in today and my thoughts are so turned around. I know you’re protecting your pack, and me, but my heart aches to think of all those people dead. It seems as if all I ever hear about, and see, is just more death and destruction. I’m just tired of it all.”

Brittany feels the truth of her words weighing her down like a blanket and she lets out a long breath, meeting Santana’s eyes. “If it’s okay with you, I’d just like to sleep now. I know there’s probably still more to discuss but I don’t think I have the energy left for it anymore tonight.”

As Brittany lies down on her back, Santana walks over to the front door, sliding the latch down and enchanting it with a stronger blocking spell, closing her eyes as she does the same for the cabins behind her. Dimming the lanterns, Santana pauses next to the bed, Brittany’s eyes already closed as she breathes softly, sleep seeming to claim her quickly. Unable to help herself, Santana crouches down next to Brittany, softly resting her hand on the bed near where Brittany’s hand lays. Risking the touch, she brushes the back of her hand against Brittany’s, her words whisper soft as she lets her touch linger for just a moment. “I promise you that no harm will come to you while you here and under my protection. I swear it on my life.”

Brittany murmurs in her sleep and turns away slightly from Santana, prompting her to stand and make her way to the ladder. Climbing the ladder, she never sees Brittany’s eyes opening, the hand that Santana touched brought close to her chest as she closes her eyes once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Dacrem steadily approaching, the pack enjoy a relaxing day as Brittany learns some important information from Santana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

Brittany closes her eyes as the sun slowly appears over the horizon, the warmth heating her face and chasing the chill away from the morning air.  With her back propped against a sturdy log, she relaxes against the pressure, her legs stretched out in front of her, while her palms move slowly back and forth across the blades of grass beneath her.  The breeze is light today and barely raises her blonde hair from her shoulders as it brushes over her body.  Inhaling deeply, Brittany smiles as the wind carries with it the scent of oram lilies she assumes are growing somewhere in the woods ahead of her.  Before her lungs fill, she catches a different scent, darker and warmer, and a rush passes through her chest before she opens her eyes and turns her head, catching sight of Santana walking over to join her.

“Good morning, Santana.”

With a small smile for Brittany, Santana returns her greeting, angling her body towards the rising sun and welcoming the warmth the same way that Brittany did, tilting her head back slightly as she closes her eyes.  She stands that way for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of peace that she feels in this moment as she listens to Brittany’s quiet breaths, the swishing sound of the blades of grass beneath Brittany’s hands seeming to keep the rhythm of her heartbeat.  On a long exhale, Santana turns her head and meets Brittany’s eyes, the blue of them lighter as morning starts to make its mark on the new day.  Stepping forward, Santana takes a seat on the log that Brittany is leaning against, a comfortable distance separating them as Santana rests her palm behind her.

“Did you sleep okay last night?”

Brittany expected she’d find it hard to fall asleep after everything that happened after dinner last night but she finds that she can answer Santana honestly, as she had drifted off not too long after Santana had settled into the loft above where Brittany slept.  “I did.  I didn’t think I would but I did.”

“But you were up early today.”

“I was.  I slept okay but it seems as if my brain was eager to start the day, it started racing as soon as my eyes opened.  I just can’t stop thinking about what Rachel found and what this means.  I mean, I know what it means.  More death and destruction but I thought he’d stop at some point.  That our absolute devastation and extinction wasn’t his end goal but as this war goes on, I can’t help but think that just might be what he’s after.  Still, how much money and power can one man use?  How has he not grown tired of it all?”

“Is that what you think?  That Aleksander did all this, and continues to do this, for power and wealth?”

“Yes, of course,” Brittany answers Santana with a conviction that withers at the look on Santana’s face.  Pressing up from the ground, Brittany joins Santana and sits on the log, turning to face her more fully.  “If not for that, then what does he do it for?”

“You don’t know the story?”

“Apparently not.”

At Brittany’s sharp words, Santana takes a deep breath and reigns in her disbelieving tone, pushing aside her belief that everyone knew why this war had started.  “I meant no offense, Brittany.  I just meant…being a witch, I would have thought that the truth of everything would have been known, that’s all.  Though, I can understand how things may be distorted as words pass through different mouths and ears over time.”

“Do you know the true story?”

Nodding her head, Santana sees the non-verbal prompt in Brittany’s body language as she leans forward, instinctively moving closer to Santana.  Closing her eyes briefly, Santana meets Brittany’s gaze and ignores the ache in her chest as she asks if Brittany would like to hear the story.  At her affirmative answer, Santana clears her throat and begins.

“Aleksander wasn’t always like this.  His family and his pack were one of the first royal families to settle at Ravensbrook.  Featherstone Castle was known for its lavish celebrations where all were welcome and its kitchens would often provide food to the poor that lived in the land surrounding the castle.  During one of the celebrations during winter solstice, Aleksander met a royal witch named Celia and fell in love.  Both of them became enamoured with each other and he wanted to court her but her family didn’t agree with the union.”

“Why?  I thought wolf and witch unions were accepted, even by the royals.”

“They were but Celia’s family had promised her to another, a family that held more prestige than Aleksander’s, so they banished him from their lands and forbade Celia from seeing him.  He was inconsolable, and blind with rage, and people knew to avoid him if they crossed his path at the castle.  He found solace with a few of members of an outlaw pack of wolves that had gathered at the castle for a few days and they fed into his anger until it twisted something inside of him.  He became convinced that Celia’s family believed he wasn’t good enough for her because he only had his power at night.  Aleksander was jealous that witches and warlocks had their powers all the time and he recruited this outlaw pack to sneak onto Celia’s family’s land and kill them and take their power.  He believed that if he removed the obstacle to them being together, and at the same time gained more power for himself, that he and Celia could be together and live happily ever after.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask what happened next.”

Crossing her legs, Santana licks her lips and exhales softly, continuing the story, “Aleksander and his new pack were successful in managing to sneak into the manor where Celia and her family lived, slaughtering all they came across, including Celia’s mother and father and two brothers.  When Celia came downstairs, she found their bodies arranged on the floor with Aleksander standing proudly over them.  He believed that she would be happy since they could be together now but she was horrified and tried to flee.  In his anger, he struck her down before she could leave the room and it was that act that broke whatever goodness he had left inside of him.  He blamed all witches for his actions, cursing their powers as the catalyst for making him do what he did and he vowed to kill all of them.  And that’s exactly what he started to do.  He, along with his pack, started killing any witch or warlock that they came across, letting it be known that any wolf was welcome to join them and to rise up against what he called the tyranny of the witches.  The witches fought back, of course, as I’m sure you know, but within a short amount of time, more and more wolves joined Aleksander’s pack, seeing a chance to gain power and status under his cause and eventually he attracted the attention of a dark coven.”

“The Sogues.”

“Yes.  The darkest of the dark covens.  They saw this as an opportunity to take the power and finally rule over lands they believed should be theirs.  In that, you were right.  It is about power and wealth for them and they saw, and still see, Aleksander as the vessel to allow them to accumulate that.  They granted him and his wolves the ability to shift at will and they agreed to work on conjuring a spell that would cast the world in perpetual night, granting these now dark wolves full strength all the time, if the wolves allowed the Sogues to reign at their side.  As more and more witches were struck down, others came to join Aleksander, believing they could start to see a world where they were the rulers.”

“Why has this war waged so long?  Why didn’t the Sogues just conjure the spell as soon as Aleksander agreed to their demands?”

“There is an important element that makes up part of the spell that they need and they haven’t found it yet.  Early on in the war, when word got out about what the dark wolves and witches were trying to do, one of the covens took the item and hid it, sacrificing themselves so that no one would know of its location.”

That part of Santana’s story sounds familiar to Brittany, though she had always believed that the item that was hunted was sought due to its value in coin rather than its value as a ceremonial item.  As she shifts to sit more comfortably, Brittany feels a little unsettled over hearing the story, wondering why the version she heard was vastly different than the one that Santana just told.  Normally she might chalk it up to the natural interpretations that are made as stories are passed around but the details that Santana had, she seemed so sure about and even though it makes her feel uncomfortable, Brittany forces herself to question Santana.

 “Santana, how do you know all this?”

Before Santana can answer Brittany’s question, they both turn at the sound of approaching footsteps, Quinn’s good morning offered in the form of bread and cheese in a small satchel, three mugs of tea balanced in her other hand.  Sitting at the ground by Santana’s feet, Quinn holds her hand out for Brittany and Santana to each take a mug of tea before reaching into the satchel and making a bread and cheese sandwich for all of them.  Watching as Quinn hands Santana her sandwich, Brittany brings the tea closer to her nose, the fragrant steam letting her know that Quinn had prepared birchbriar tea for them this morning.  Taking the sandwich held in her direction, Brittany meets Quinn’s eyes, part of her understanding that bringing over breakfast is Quinn’s way of apologizing for last night and the abrupt way she treated Brittany.  Acknowledging Quinn’s gesture with a nod, Brittany returns Quinn’s small smile before turning her attention back to Santana who finishes a sip of the warm tea before looking at Quinn.

“Thanks for this, Quinn.  Where are the others?”

“They’re still finishing breakfast.  Though when I left Connell was still sleeping.”

Laughing softly, Santana takes a bite of her bread, the sharp taste of the cheese a nice contrast to the sweeter taste of the tea that Quinn brought with her.  Swallowing, she meets Brittany’s eyes and can feel the anxious energy coming from her, fully aware that she hadn’t yet answered Brittany’s question.  Her hope that Brittany would take Quinn’s arrival as a sign to continue their discussion another time is dashed as Brittany finishes her bread and cheese, washing it down with a last sip of tea, before setting her mug on the ground and looking back at Santana.

“How did you know all of what you just told me?”

“Know all of what?”

Before Santana can deflect Quinn’s question, Brittany answers her and Santana can feel Quinn’s gaze slide over to hers.  “Santana was telling me the story about Aleksander and the war and why it really started.  As it turns out, I didn’t know even half of what really happened.”

“Is that so?”

Quinn’s tone has Santana turning her head and meeting Quinn’s eyes full on, the question about how much Santana really told her coming through loud and clear.  The concern in Quinn’s eyes is matched only by the pleading in Santana’s and after only a couple of seconds, Quinn’s shoulders soften and she drops her chin subtly in a tiny nod.  Fortunately, Brittany misses the look passing between them as the wind picks up, forcing her to look down to pull the laces on her shirt tighter together as the temperature cools slightly.  When Brittany looks back up, all she sees is Santana looking at her while Quinn finishes the rest of her tea.

Clearing her throat, Santana uncrosses her legs and leans back slightly, her body language relaxed as she finally answers Brittany’s last question.  “Remember how I told you I was bitten and turned into what I am?  I was being held at Featherstone Castle, a big group of us were.  It’s where they would bring you to either be killed for sport, where you would take the Dark Oath, or if they felt like it, where you would be changed against your will.  During my time there, my captors had little else to do but talk and I picked up most of the story through them and filled in the rest with the people who shared my cell.”

There’s something to Santana’s story and the way her body shifts once she’s done speaking that makes Brittany want to reach out and stop her movement, knowing there’s more to the story but uncertain on how to ask without pushing Santana.  Quinn makes the decision for her by standing, pulling Santana away from Brittany as she asks if Santana is almost ready to go.

Standing up as well, Brittany wipes the small bits of bark from her pants, looking down and noticing that it’s probably past time that she did another cleaning spell as she can’t remember the last time she wore a different pair of pants.  “Where are you heading off to?”

“Quinn and I are heading out to meet up with a trader to pick up some supplies but we shouldn’t be gone too long.”

Remembering Rachel’s story from last night, Brittany steps a little closer, her voice laced with concern even she tries to be nonchalant about her question.  “Are you sure it’s safe, meeting with this trader?”

“Do you think we can’t handle ourselves out there, _draka_?"

Brittany picks up on the lightly teasing tone of Quinn’s voice, her use of a more neutral wolf word for light witch making Brittany smile.  She can feel Quinn looking at her but she keeps her eyes on Santana, wanting it made clear that her concern has to do with meeting someone outside of the woods and not so much with their ability to take care of themselves.  “Of course you both can, it’s not that.  How can you be sure you can trust this trader?  After what Rachel said last night about Willowcrest, I’m just worried.  About both of you.”

At that last part, Brittany meets Quinn’s hazel eyes and the sees the shift in them, the edges crinkling up slightly as she smiles while Santana answers Brittany.  “It’ll be okay.  The trader we are meeting with is an old friend of Nicolas’ and we’ve been trading with him since we’ve been here.  It’s perfectly safe.”

Poking her finger against Santana’s shoulder, Quinn laughs and rolls her eyes, leaning closer to Brittany as if sharing a secret.  “That’s because Santana glamours Ethan with a spell so he never remembers who we are, just that we traded with him and that Nicolas sent us.”

Turning away from Quinn’s annoying gesture, Santana ignores the teasing and instead looks over at Brittany.  “Do you need anything, Brittany?”

Brittany can feel her cheeks heat up as she realizes that they only thing she has with her are the clothes on her back and the two daggers sitting on the window sill above the bed in Santana’s cabin.  Contemplating whether she could offer one of the daggers for trade, the twinge in her heart at giving up one of her daggers has her shaking her head and declining Santana’s offer.  “I don’t have any coin to trade with since I lost my traveling pack when I fled from Rivers Run.”

Santana wants to offer to pay for anything that Brittany wants, and the quickness with which Santana thought to make the offer has her shuffling her feet in the grass, but she recognizes the pride in Brittany’s eyes and knows that any offer would be declined.  Shrugging her shoulders, Santana watches as Brittany bends down to pick up the three empty mugs from the ground and she quickly turns to meet Quinn’s eyes, jerking her chin towards Brittany and then towards the cabins.

With a quick eyeroll, Quinn turns her body and gestures behind her, thanking Brittany for picking up the mugs and suggesting that she should head around back and hang out with the rest of the pack while she and Santana are gone.  The smile Brittany gives Quinn prompts a genuine one in return as Brittany says goodbye and leaves them, Quinn’s smile turning into a smirk as she catches Santana watching Brittany walk away.  Before she can say anything to Santana, Quinn’s shoulders are quickly pulled downward as a large traveling pack settles on her shoulders.  As she reaches up to adjust the sleeves of her gray tunic that are now bunched up around the straps, she looks over at Santana and meets her amused glance with a scowl as she notices that Santana’s traveling pack is resting against the log at her feet.

Shrugging her shoulders to get the pack into a more comfortable position, Quinn’s voice is petulant as she watches Santana put her arms through the straps of her own traveling pack.  “That was rude.  Also?  It still unsettles me when you do that.”

“Next time, I’ll wait while you walk back for your pack, your Highness.”

Waiting as Santana makes the final adjustments to her own tunic, Quinn looks over her shoulder at her cabin before meeting Santana’s smug grin.

“Well, I wasn’t saying all that.”

“I thought so.”

“Are you ready to go?”

“Can’t you just conjure us there?”

“Cute.  But no.”  Heading west towards the woods, Santana feels a sense of comfort as Quinn’s footsteps fall into step automatically with hers, the journey to see Ethan a common one for them.  Deciding to have a little fun, Santana whispers a quick spell and suddenly emerges at the edge of the woods about fifty yards away, laughing as Quinn looks over to where Santana should have been walking next to her.

“Not funny, Sant…”  Quinn’s breath is pushed from her lungs as Santana says the same spell, depositing Quinn a few feet away from her.  “I hate it when you do that.”

Laughing harder, Santana bows before tugging playfully on one of Quinn’s shoulder straps.  “Come on.  If we hurry up, we may be back by lunchtime.”

 

* * *

 

As Brittany gets closer to the back cabins, a smile tugs on the corners of her mouth as she recognizes that Santana’s pack is setting up for a game of _Diveres_ , the feeling of familiarity bringing with it a small sense of nostalgia as she remembers playing it with her sister and her cousins.  Wandering a little closer, she looks over as Rachel’s voice carries over the field, laughing a little at the sight of Malek towering over her.

“Why won’t you be on my team?”

“You know I don’t play this game, _keela_.”

Sighing good-naturedly, Rachel walks backwards as she smiles at Malek.  “You know, Malek, one of these days I’m going to get you to stop referring to me as little one.”

“Ah _keela_ , maybe one of these days you’ll actually grow.”

Stopping near the row of broom handles set up to indicate the end of the playing area, Brittany taps Rachel on her shoulder and waits until she turns to face her.  “I’ll play on your team, Rachel.”

Connell’s voice interrupts Rachel before she can answer Brittany and Brittany feels herself charmed by the excited expression on his face. “You can play _Diveres_ , Brittany?  Are you any good?”

“Connell!”

“What?  I was just asking, Rachel.”

Chuckling as Rachel shoves playfully at Connell’s shoulder, Nicolas walks closer and sizes Brittany up before patting his chest lightly.  “You should play on my team, Brittany.  If you like to win, that is.”

“Hey!  You’d ditch me that quickly?”

Brittany covers her smile as both Rachel and Connell look at Nicolas, Connell’s face pinched with friendly irritation as Rachel just rolls her eyes at Nicolas.  Grabbing onto Brittany’s wrist lightly, Rachel pulls her closer to her side of the playing field, decisively nodding her head as she gestures Malek to come closer.  “We’ll play boys vs. girls and Malek can be _godin_.”

Connell’s soft _yes_ is drowned out by Nicolas’ complaining as he drops his head back with a sigh.  “No way.  Last time Malek was _godin_ he called that bullshit foul on me for hitting Quinn and I barely even touched her.  It was a fair play.”

Bending down to pick up the hollow leather ball at his feet, Malek spins the ball against his palm as he stares at Nicolas.  “I was doing you a favor, you know.  You should be thanking me for getting you off the field before Quinn tore you apart.”

Brittany joins in as everyone laughs, even Nicholas nods his head after a moment to acknowledge that Malek might have had a point.  Putting her hair up into a bun, Brittany stands next to Rachel as Connell and Nicolas take their place on the other side of Malek.  Taking his role as the score keeper and rule keeper seriously, Malek holds onto the ball a little longer as he glances around at the four people waiting for him to start to the game.

“The rules are simple.  First team to score ten _draepos_ wins and you can only score by using your foot to put the ball into the baskets located at either end of the playing area.  You step out of the lines of the field and you forfeit your turn.  You commit a foul and you forfeit your turn and must remain out of the game for five minutes.” At that, Malek turns to look at Nicolas, grinning as Nicolas waves his hands for Malek to get on with it.  Holding the ball above his head, Malek issues one more statement as he looks over at Brittany and Rachel.  “For the record?  My coin is on the girls.”

Launching the ball high above his head, Malek steps back as the others wait for the ball to get within reach, Connell’s whoop of joy echoing over the field as he jumps towards the ball, using his head to knock it back to Nicolas.  With a smile on her face and the thrill of competition racing along her veins, Brittany takes a deep breath and advances with Rachel, determined to see that Malek’s prediction comes true.

The game progresses evenly enough and as Connell manages to knock in another _draepo_ to tie the game at eight _,_ Brittany can’t help but smile as Rachel high fives her brother before shoving him with a laugh and kicking the ball back towards Malek to start the next round.  The chill in the air has been chased away by the sweat of exertion, Brittany’s muscles warm and limber as she gets ready for Malek to send the ball skyward once more.  Rachel and Connell are both really good players and Brittany imagines that they must be a formidable team when paired together, their twin connection no doubt giving them an edge.  Because of this, Brittany realizes they sort of cancel each other out when playing on opposite sides and she looks over to find Nicolas grinning at her and knows that these next two _draepos_ will probably come down to her and Nicolas squaring off.  As Malek prepares to start the next round, Brittany welcomes the rush of adrenaline it brings, meeting Nicolas’ grin with a tight one of her own.

Sprinting forward, Brittany jumps up and manages to get to the ball first, knocking it down with her hand towards her feet, stumbling a bit as Nicolas brushes against her trying to get the ball.  Turning her shoulder, Brittany manages to kick the ball to Rachel before Nicolas can get to it, gritting her teeth as Nicolas once again pushes closer to her body.  While she knows the contact is harmless, the grin that he keeps sending her has Brittany determined to see it chased from his face.  Running around Nicolas, Brittany manages to cut in front of Connell, using him as a shield to prevent Nicolas from getting close to her, and opening herself up for Rachel to send her the ball.  Stretching her leg forward, Brittany gets the ball under control and turns towards the back of the field, the basket less than fifteen feet from her now.  Brittany pushes forward and sees Rachel streak past her, Connell close on her heels as he prevents Brittany from sending the ball Rachel’s way.  Shifting her body towards the basket on the ground, Brittany grunts out a breath as Nicolas once again pushes his body against hers as he tries to get the ball.  Even though she knows that she shouldn’t, Brittany drops her hand and sends a small burst of magic down to her fingers, zapping Nicolas with just enough force to knock him back slightly as she runs forward and sends the ball towards the basket, the satisfying crunch of the ball hitting the back of the woven material making her smile.  Holding her hand out for Rachel to hit as she gets closer, Brittany laughs at the grin Rachel gives her, pulling back on her magic in just enough time so that she doesn’t zap Rachel as well.

“Malek, tell me you saw that.”

“Saw what?”

“You can’t be serious.  Brittany used her magic to keep me away from the ball.”

“I didn’t see anything.”

With his eyebrows creeping toward his hairline, Nicolas wipes the sweat from his forehead and wiggles his fingers in Malek’s direction to mimic Brittany’s hands.  “You didn’t?  I suppose I intentionally jumped back just to let her pass by me so she could score.”

Tossing the ball to Malek, Connell pats Nicolas on the shoulder, his face every bit of playful sympathy.  “You _are_ always going on and on about what a gentleman you are, Nicolas.”

Shrugging Connell’s hand from his shoulder, Nicolas bends down to adjust the laces on his boots, missing the wink that Malek sends Brittany’s way.

Lining up across from Brittany once more, Nicolas squints his eyes and shakes his head, breaking into a smile as Brittany continues to just calmly watch him.  “I’ve been taking it easy on you this whole time, _draka_.  But I think I might have underestimated you.  This time, you won’t be able to get past me so easily.”

Keeping her eyes on Nicolas even as Malek raises his hand to release the ball, Brittany flexes her fingers and grins, sweat dripping from her chin at the movement.  “We’ll see.”

 

* * *

 

Opening the door to her cabin, Quinn is hit with a wall of sound as Brittany and the others talk and laugh around a table of a lunch long since finished, stepping inside as she feels Santana approaching from behind her.  Putting her pack on the floor by the door, she shuts it as Santana walks in, both of them stopping a few feet from the table as Connell spots them.

“You guys are never going to believe it.  We were playing _Diveres_ and Brittany came over to play and she and Rachel totally kicked our butts and beat us in two straight games.”

“Traitor.  How can you actually sound happy and proud about that when we were the ones who lost?”

“Traitor?  You waited all of two seconds before trying to drop me to get Brittany on your team.  You’re just mad that she scored the winning goal on you.  Twice.”

Santana finds her gaze pulled to the chagrined look on Nicolas’ face as he looks over at her, the weird mix of jealousy and amusement tempered at the sound of Brittany’s laugh.  Santana continues to keep his gaze, drawing further enjoyment from having him squirm in his chair before he looks away, holding his hands up with a smile.  “Okay, okay, fine.  You’re right.  She did beat us, and mostly me, fair and square.”

Brittany meets his eyes and realizes that he’s forgiving her for the zap she gave him earlier and is keeping it between them.  Tipping her water mug slightly in his direction Brittany smiles at Nicolas before turning around in her chair, curious as to the rustling sound behind her.   Connell’s excited voice once again fills the silence as he leans over the table to talk to Quinn.  “What did you get, Quinn?  Did you remember to pick up the…”

Cutting him off, Quinn stands up with an indulgent smile, holding a cloth-wrapped square of something in both her hands.  “Yes, I did get you your _kerant_ sweetbread.  As if I could have forgotten.  You only asked me for it a hundred times.”

Moving around the table, Connell takes the sweetbread from Quinn before pulling her into a hug, Brittany noticing the look that passes between Quinn and Rachel, Rachel’s smile soft as she meets Quinn’s eyes.

“You’re going to spoil the boy, Quinn.”

Malek’s deep voice makes Quinn pull back as Connell takes his sweetbread over to one of the shelves behind the main dining table.  Arching her eyebrow, Quinn crosses her arms across her chest as she meet’s Malek’s eyes.  “Am I?  I guess that means that you don’t want the Halefire dagger I managed to procure for you.  Pity, really.  The craftsmanship really is stunning, as you well know.  But, I wouldn’t want to spoil you or anything.”

There’s a half second of silence before both Quinn and Malek laugh, the smile on his face as Quinn rummages through the pack to get the dagger making Brittany watch him for a moment.  As Quinn walks over to him with the dagger laid across her palm, Brittany sees the man underneath the warrior, despite the gift of a weapon he’s receiving, and wonders what he must have been like as a little boy as his smile transforms his face.  Walking over to one of the windows, Malek holds the dagger up towards the light, the rest of the room forgotten as he looks over his new gift.

Turning her head, Brittany catches Quinn discretely holding something out to Rachel and she feels like she should look away as Rachel keeps her hand on top of Quinn’s but Brittany finds that she can’t.  Sliding her hand underneath Quinn’s, Rachel looks down at the small pouch in Quinn’s hand.  Brittany can see the happiness on Rachel’s face and the slight embarrassment on Quinn’s as Rachel keeps their hands together and Brittany finds it endearing to be able to see this other side to Quinn.

Giving them their semi-private moment, Brittany stands up and faces Santana, noticing that she doesn’t have her pack with her.  Santana sees where Brittany is looking and jerks her thumb over her shoulder at the unspoken question.  “It’s back at my cabin.  Are you all finished with lunch?  Did you want to head back…now?”

Santana wants to close her eyes as she realizes that she almost said _home_ and that Brittany probably realizes it, if the look on her face is any indication.  Making herself hold Brittany’s gaze, Santana actually feels her shoulders slump in relief as Brittany agrees to head back but first turns around to see if Rachel would like any help with cleaning up the dishes.

“Oh.  No, but thank you.  Losers always have to clean up.  Assuming Connell can stop stuffing his face with that sweetbread long enough to come back over here.  Connell, Quinn _just_ got that for you…”

Laughing as Rachel stands up and heads over to where Connell is trying to wrap the cloth around the half-eaten sweetbread, Brittany is surprised to find Nicolas standing in front of her with his hand outstretched.  Shaking his hand, Brittany can sense Santana at her back watching them as Nicolas gives Brittany a genuine smile.  “You played well today, Brittany.  I’m looking forward to a rematch.”

The sound of the door opening behind her prompts Brittany to let go of Nicolas’ hand with a friendly warning that he shouldn’t be so eager to lose again.  His laugh joins a chorus of goodbyes as Santana and Brittany leave and make their way to Santana’s cabin.

 

* * *

 

Walking in ahead of Santana, Brittany sees a traveling pack sitting on the table and walks over to it, turning her head as Santana closes the door.  “Do you need help putting these things away?”

Santana’s cheeks flush as Brittany goes to reach into the pack and she rushes over to stop her, pulling the pack out of Brittany’s reach.  At Brittany’s confused expression, Santana clears her throat, reaching into the pack and pulling out a wrapped package, placing it on the table in front of Brittany.  “I know you didn’t ask for anything but I picked up a few things for you anyway.”

Sitting down, Brittany glances at the package and feels her chest flush warm at the thought that Santana brought something back for her.   Running her fingers over the dark twine holding the wrapping together, Brittany looks up to find Santana pulling other items from the pack and walking around the cabin to put them away.  She caught the blush on Santana’s cheeks and with Santana’s back turned at the moment, Brittany allows the big grin to come to her face, enjoying the giddy sense of anticipation she feels as she starts to pull the knot apart to open the package.

Santana can hear the crinkling of the wrapping at the table and while a part of her desperately wants to watch Brittany as she looks inside, there’s another part of her that doesn’t want to watch in case Brittany doesn’t like what she bought her.  Standing at one of the shelves fiddling with pouches of spices that could have been put away in a few seconds, Santana can feel the heat creeping along her neck the longer that Brittany doesn’t say anything and she finally gives in and turns around, the spices quickly forgotten at the look on Brittany’s face as she stands in front of her.

Brittany can see Santana turn around out of the corner of her eye but she can’t look away from the items in her hand, a new pair of black pants with reinforced stitching along the waist to account for the weight of her dagger belt, and two new tunics, sewn with an extra layer to help ward off colder temperatures.  The first tunic that Brittany shakes out to look at seems to be a darker version of the blue of her magic and Brittany tries to ignore the flutter in her stomach at Santana picking this one out.  Moving that tunic aside, the flutter turns into a flash of heat as Brittany reaches down to pull out the second tunic, holding it up and catching her breath for a moment as she meets Santana’s eyes over the edge of the collar, the red fabric of this tunic an exact match to the one that Santana let her borrow.

“I had to…uh…guess the sizes but if they don’t fit, I can always ask Rachel to adjust them.  She’s actually really good with a needle and thread.”

The thought of Santana picturing her body and what might fit on it has Brittany tilting her head down as if she’s looking over the sleeves of the tunic, hoping that her hair is doing its job of covering her blushing cheeks.  Standing up, Brittany holds the red tunic in front of her before picking up the blue one and doing the same, feeling happy as it seems that Santana guessed right on the sizes.  Placing them both down on the table, Brittany swallows hard at the blending of the two colors, her mind instantly flashing back to when she and Santana joined their magic the day before.  Santana stares as Brittany runs her fingers over the fabric of each tunic, her face unreadable to Santana as a few moments of silence pass.

Knowing that she had picked out each of the colors for very specific reasons, Santana feels self-conscious that maybe Brittany doesn’t like the colors and is just too polite to say so.  Curling her fingers against her palm to fight the urge to snatch the tunics away and throw them out the door to get rid of the embarrassment she’s feeling, Santana looks down at her feet as she speaks softly.  “If you don’t like the colors, I can change them for you.  I can enchant them to be any color you’d like.  Unless you don’t like them at all which would be fine also since you didn’t really ask for anything but I just thought that…”

The scrape of the table as Brittany’s thigh bumps into it has Santana’s rambling come to a quiet stop and they just watch each other.  Smiling at Santana and touched by the sentiment, Brittany’s instinct is to hug her and she moves to do just that but the look of panic on Santana’s face has her settling for rubbing Santana’s shoulder instead.  Picking up the clothes, Brittany moves past Santana, towards the bed, and notices that there is another traveling pack sitting on the bed.

“I thought that you could use it since you arrived here without one.  Ethan said this one is put together in such a way that it wouldn’t brush up against your daggers while you were walking.”

Dropping the clothes to the bed, Brittany runs her hands over the pack, her throat tight in a way that forces her to keep her back to Santana.  The sweetness of Santana’s gestures has Brittany’s heart racing and she takes a shallow breath before looking over her shoulder, her cheeks curving into a smile as she notices Santana nervously playing with the end of her sleeve.  “This is so thoughtful, Santana.  The clothes are perfect but you didn’t have to do any of this. I can’t possibly pay you for it.”

Letting her hands fall to her side, Santana takes a small step forward and tilts her head, her eyes roaming over Brittany’s face of their own volition before meeting her gaze.  “And you won’t have to.  These are gifts and I don’t expect or want you to pay for them.  You’ve been through so much and I just wanted to be able to give you something to hopefully make things a little better.”

Brittany sits on the edge of the bed, her arm resting over the top of the pack as she and Santana look at each other, the late afternoon sun casting the room in a golden hue.  She knows she should say something, thank Santana again, but her voice is caught in her throat at the way Santana is looking at her.  Her dark hair must have been tied back in a ponytail as she’d gone on her trip with Quinn but there are curling tendrils falling around Santana’s face and Brittany finds that she wants to brush them away.  Her urge to hug Santana is stronger than before and she presses her feet harder against the floor as she tries to force her body to remain seated.  Santana’s eyes are dark with the sun coming in through the window behind her and Brittany realizes that their breathing is nearly matching breath for breath.  Shifting on the bed, Brittany accidentally dislodges the traveling pack and it topples over, landing on the floor with a thud and breaking whatever moment had been building between them.  As Brittany leans down to grab the pack, an uncomfortable thought slides into her mind at the reason for why she needs this pack and how she came to end up at Santana’s cabin without one.

Resting the pack against the bottom of the bed, Brittany looks up and notices Santana’s face has a serious look about it as she also glances at the pack, her chest moving with a deep sigh before she grabs her own empty pack and heads toward the loft in the back to store it behind the ladder.

Santana scratches at the side of her nose before pinching the bridge of it and closing her eyes, her thoughts about Brittany churning around inside of her head.  She can’t really deny the pull that she feels to Brittany, nor can she deny that she’s pretty sure that Brittany is feeling it too, but this situation that they are in is a tenuous one.  Thinking about the reason for Brittany even being there reminds Santana that she needs to tell Brittany about what is happening later that evening.

Walking over to pour herself a mug of water, Santana offers one to Brittany and then motions for her to join Santana at the table.  Waiting until Brittany sits, Santana takes a long sip of water before gently setting her mug down on the table.  “Have you ever heard of a ceremony called a Dacrem?”

“I think so.  It’s like a council meeting, right?”

Nodding her head, Santana finishes her water and pushes her mug to the side, resting her elbows on the table as she folds her hands in front of her.  “Yes, it’s something like that.  A Dacrem is called when decisions need to be made that will affect the pack as a whole.  It’s not called very often as most decisions can be made without necessarily needing a general consensus.  But when there is something that could alter the pack, either positively or negatively, the Dacrem is held to make sure all the voices are heard before the alpha makes the final decision.”

“Am I that _something_?”

Brittany’s stomach drops a little as Santana doesn’t answer her right away and even though she wants Santana to be honest with her, Brittany can feel her pulse pick up at the tension she can read in Santana’s body language.

“Not…not entirely, no.  But I’ve realized that with your arrival here, as well as the destruction of Willowcrest, that it might be time to reevaluate our position, or at least discuss other measures we can take to protect ourselves.”

Her shoulders slumping, Brittany breaks eye contact with Santana, looking down at her mug as she turns it slowly in her hands.  “I’m so sorry for all of this, Santana.  If only I hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t be having all of this trouble.”

“Brittany, no.  It’s not…look at me,” Santana’s voice takes on a softer tone as she ducks her head slightly to get Brittany to meet her eyes.  “Listen, you coming here does worry me.  I’m not going to lie to you about that.”

Talking over Brittany’s heavy sigh, Santana keeps looking at Brittany, leaning forward in her chair as she continues speaking earnestly to her.  “But what your presence here made me realize is that I’ve become a little complacent.  We’ve been here so many months without incident that I think it became easy for us to forget about everything that’s been going on out there and not realize how far the war has spread.  As you saw with Rachel, we do go out to check on covens to make sure things are still safe, or as safe as any place in this land could possibly be.  Your flight from Rivers Run and what happened at Willowcrest are the reminders that I think we needed that whether we like it or not, there will probably come a time when even being here, protected by spells and barriers, will not be enough.”

“Can I attend the Dacrem?”

The request catches Santana off guard and she sits back in her chair, not expecting that Brittany would think to ask to go to the ceremony.  She genuinely feels bad that she has to tell Brittany she can’t come since she knows that whether she likes it or not, the decision she makes tonight will also affect Brittany.  “Ah, no, I’m sorry.  It’s only for the pack.”

“It’s okay.  I understand.”  Brittany tries to curb the hurt she feels from creeping into her voice, taking a moment to take a sip of water from her mug.  She’s startled to realize that the reason she feels hurt is because she is starting to think of Santana’s pack as her friends but while she has been forming friendships with them, she’s still an outsider.  She’s not part of their pack and as a witch, cannot ever be part of their pack.  The stark reminder of that fact is sitting across from her even though Santana was gentle in her denial of allowing Brittany to go to the Dacrem.

Brushing off the hurt she feels, Brittany takes a slow breath and puts a smile on her face, opting to change the subject and save both her and Santana further discomfort.  “Will you be having dinner before the ceremony?"

Santana watched the play of emotion across Brittany’s face and her heart twisted a little at the look of hurt she could see there, a small frown marring the space between Brittany’s blue eyes.  But just as quickly as it came it was gone and the angst she felt over having inadvertently hurt Brittany is replaced with the same flutter she’s starting to feel whenever Brittany smiles at her.  Determined to pass these next couple of hours without the weight of the Dacrem hanging on her shoulders, Santana returns Brittany’s smile and answers her.  “I am.  We can have dinner together here before I go, if you’d like.”

Santana watches Brittany’s eyes light up at her statement and she has to bite her tongue so she doesn’t pay Brittany the compliment that is rolling around in her mind.  The sunlight slants across Brittany’s face and Santana finds that she wants to run her fingers across the strands of Brittany’s blond hair to see if they are warm from the sun.  As Brittany’s smile curls into a small smirk, Santana runs her palms across the tops of her thighs, just to give them something to do so she doesn’t reach across the table for Brittany’s hands, the delicate bones of her wrists visible as Brittany’s tunic rides up slightly on her forearms.

“I’d like that.  But, as I did the cooking one night and we ate at Quinn’s last night, can you make anything else besides stew?”

Laughing, Santana raises her eyebrow, Brittany’s playful challenge putting a big grin on her face.  Pushing back from the table, Santana stands up and moves around to the back of her chair, resting her elbows across the back of it.  “Tell you what.  Give me one hour alone in here and I’ll promise that the dinner I make you will be the best thing you’ve eaten so far.”

 

* * *

 

Putting her fork down on her plate, Brittany slouches down in her chair slightly and meets Santana’s amused smile as she takes a sip of wine.  “What?”

Gesturing to Brittany’s empty plate, Santana feels a spark of pride that her dinner was so well-received.  “I told you I’d make something that you’d like.”

“Like?  You’re lucky I let you eat what was on your plate.  It was delicious, Santana.”

The smile that Brittany gives her warms Santana’s cheeks and she accepts the compliment with a blush, putting her mug down with a small apology.  “I am sorry I didn’t have time to make something for dessert though.”

Considering, Brittany moves her plate to the side of the table and sits forward, drawn to the lantern light bathing Santana’s face in a warm glow.  “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you ever take a shortcut and just conjure the meal that you want?”

“I have before, though there always seems to be just a little something off about the taste.  It’s hard to put my finger on but it might be the residual taste of the magic.  What about you?”

Tucking her blonde hair behind one ear, Brittany puts her elbow on the table and rests her cheek in her palm, smiling as she answers Santana’s question.  “Oh, definitely.  Sometimes you just don’t have a choice but I’d much rather cook.  There’s just something about taking the time and care to pick out the ingredients and the spices and work to put it all together to make a meal.  Maybe the hard work makes it taste better.”

Laughing, Santana pushes her plate to the side too and mimics Brittany’s pose, her voice teasing as she looks at her.  “Hmmm.  Maybe I should have worked a little harder to make dessert for you.”

Brittany’s eyes light up at the thought and Santana laughs again, teasing Brittany.  “Why do I feel like your sweet tooth is as bad as Connell’s?”

Looking down at the table, Brittany can’t help but shake her head and shrug, unable to deny Santana’s claim.  Suddenly there’s a brief flash of red light and Brittany lets out a delighted gasp as a small chocolate cake appears on a plate in front of Brittany, fresh huntersberries ringing the outside of the cake.  Brittany can actually feel the warmth rush across her chest at Santana’s gesture, a part of her recognizing that Santana included the huntersberries specifically because she knows that Brittany likes them.  Looking across the table, Brittany notices that Santana doesn’t have any dessert in front of her and her smile dims just a little bit.  “Aren’t you going to have any dessert?”

“No.  Watching you enjoy it will be enough.”

Brittany’s fork stops in midair as she meets Santana’s eyes and the look in them makes Santana realize how what she said might have sounded.  Leaning back in her chair, she drops her hands under the table and interlaces her fingers, squeezing them together to keep from covering her face.  “I, uh, don’t really have a taste for sweets.  At least not as much as you and Connell seem to, and besides, I really should start getting ready to leave here soon.  It’s almost sunset.”

Swallowing a small bite of the cake, Brittany hums in pleasure at the taste, missing the way Santana’s eyes widen at the sound.  Pushing her fork down to get another piece, Brittany glances outside before looking over at Santana.  “How long does the Dacrem usually take?”

Picking up their empty plates, Santana gets up and brings the dishes over to a smaller table to be cleaned, pausing for a moment to look out the window.  The shadows are starting to creep along the edge of the tree line and encroach on the field in front of her cabin and Santana can feel the weight of the ceremony starting to pull on her.  Letting out a small sigh, she turns around and jolts as Brittany steps close to her, the small dessert plate in her hand.

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to startle you.  I just thought I could clean up since you were nice enough to make dinner.”

Santana kids herself into believing that her racing heart has to do more with Brittany suddenly appearing behind her and less to do with being this close to Brittany, but as Brittany leans closer to put the plate with the others, Santana’s pulse jumps again.  Moving aside, Santana goes to the table and picks up their mugs, handing them to Brittany and pointedly ignoring the way Brittany’s fingers linger for just a moment before she takes them.  Heading to the dresser by the loft with a mumbled _thank you_ , Santana can feel Brittany watching her and she fumbles with the drawer before pulling it open and looking over her shoulder at Brittany.  “Depending on the issue, the ceremony can take anywhere from an hour to several hours.  I can’t really say how long tonight’s will take, to be honest.”

Straightening up, Santana hears a sharp intake of breath from Brittany and looks over at her but Brittany’s eyes are on the object in her hand.  “Santana, that’s beautiful.”

The ceremonial tunic is trimmed in intricate patterns, the darker red weaving seamlessly throughout the lighter red and black of the fabric.  Blushing over Brittany’s reaction, Santana keeps her eyes on the tunic, her thumb brushing over the corner of the collar.  “It’s the alpha’s tunic.  It’s to be worn for the Dacrem tonight.”

Brittany observes as Santana averts her gaze, looking upon the tunic as if it’s the first time she’s seen it and Brittany wants so much to talk to Santana about her position in the pack.  She wants to know why Santana seems reluctant to accept it, yet she clearly takes her role as alpha seriously.  It’s an interesting duality and Brittany adds this topic to the growing list of things she wants to know about Santana.  She understands that tonight is not the night for it and so she puts a smile on her face, pointing the dishes next to her once Santana finally looks up at her.  “I’ll go ahead and get these taken care of while you get ready, okay?”

Nodding her head, Santana waits until Brittany turns her back before she moves toward the corner of the cabin, throwing out a quick cloaking spell while she gets changed.  Within a few minutes, Santana is ready and she hears Brittany back at the table, pushing in the chairs.  Removing the spell, Santana turns around and as before, the sound that Brittany makes stops Santana from moving, both of them standing still as Brittany’s eyes roam over Santana.

Brittany is glad that her hands are still on the back of one of the chairs because it gives her something to hold on to, the sight of Santana in her alpha’s tunic making her knees feel weak for a moment.  Santana had left her hair down and it looks wild as it falls over her shoulders, the natural waviness seeming to highlight the whorls of the dark red stitching that wind their way around the tunic.  Brittany watches as Santana’s fingers flex before rubbing quickly against the top of her thighs, the black fabric of her pants pulled tight around her legs, the bottom of the pants disappearing into a pair of black calfskin boots.  Tightening her grip on the back of the chair, Brittany allows herself to welcome the heat flushing through her body at the look of Santana.  There’s something beautiful in the way that Santana will be presenting herself to her pack and the colors of the alpha’s tunic make Santana look a little a dangerous, Brittany’s mind once again conjuring the image of Santana’s hands on her wrists with their power shared between them.  With her pulse racing, Brittany finds that she can’t quite form the words to break the silence that’s stretching between them and challenges herself to hold Santana’s gaze.

Brittany’s scrutiny feels like a physical touch and Santana takes a step forward, something in her driving her to want to be closer to Brittany in that moment.  Her skin feels warm beneath her clothes and Santana can pick up the motion of Brittany’s fingers against the chair, her rolled up sleeves exposing the skin of her forearms, the fine muscles there bunching and flexing as Brittany’s hands grip the top of the chair.  The sun has completely set and the few lanterns that Santana lit when she started dinner aren’t enough to really illuminate the cabin and for a brief second, Santana has the feeling like the only two people that exist are her and Brittany, the darkness outside forgotten as Brittany takes a breath and licks her lips.

There’s a low howl far off in the distance and Santana closes her eyes, pushing down her feelings as the reality of tonight comes rushing back.  She has a duty, not only to herself but to her pack and while her time here with Brittany is giving her a glimpse of something she’s not sure she’s ever felt before, her obligations must come first.  Despite a fervent desire to stay there with Brittany, Santana exhales and opens her eyes, squaring her shoulders as she heads towards the front door.

Brittany can see the struggle on Santana’s face and even as she thrills in whatever is happening between them, she respects Santana enough to let her leave without anything else weighing her down.  Relaxing the tension in her body, Brittany smiles easily at Santana as she pauses at the door.  Lifting her hand to ignite the rest of the lanterns, Santana pulls the door open and lets her eyes trail over Brittany once before meeting her eyes, Santana’s voice carrying an undercurrent that Brittany feels tingle inside of her chest.  “I’ll see you soon, Brittany.”

With that Santana leaves and Brittany waits until the door closes before pulling the chair back and falling back onto it, her hand reaching up to rest against her racing heart as her eyes remain on the front door.  Unsure of how long she’ll be here by herself, Brittany drops her head back against the top of the chair with a heavy breath, wondering how much longer she and Santana can dance around this thing between them before one of them says something about it.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Santana sees as she enters the clearing is a smirking Malek, his hands resting on top of his head as he watches Nicolas tugging futilely on the fancy ties of Connell’s tunic, Malek’s own dark purple shirt draped perfectly over his muscled frame.

“Stop fidgeting so I can fix this.  How did you even manage to get these tangled up so badly?”

“Why don’t you go shave that thing you call a beard and stop hassling me over my shirt?”

Huffing out a laugh, Santana turns away from the three men to her left, searching the clearing for Quinn and Rachel and finding them just off to the side, Rachel’s hand resting against Quinn’s waist.  Santana sees the necklace that Quinn had bought earlier for Rachel resting against the exposed skin shown by Rachel’s shirt, the light green color a perfect match to the ceremonial tunic that Quinn was wearing.  As she watches them talk quietly, Santana finds herself thinking about a certain blonde witch back at her cabin.  It’s not jealousy she feels as she watches Quinn duck her head shyly at something that Rachel says, for she understands what a gift each of them has been to each other, but a yearning.  Since her escape from Featherstone Castle all those long months ago, Santana hasn’t allowed herself to think of anything else other than her pack and their safety.  Thoughts of having a relationship, even as she watched the one between Quinn and Rachel bloom, never really registered with her but the appearance of Brittany in her life has sparked something inside Santana and she has to acknowledge that her thoughts lately have followed a slightly different path than before.

Santana is brought out of her daydreaming by a dramatic sigh, Malek finally unable to restrain himself from walking over to where Connell and Nicolas are standing, moving Nicolas out of the way and fixing Connell’s laces himself.  Leaving them to it, Santana approaches Quinn, offering a quiet greeting to Rachel as she steps away from Quinn with a smile.  “Is everything ready for the Dacrem?”

“Yes, Santana.”  The shift in Quinn is instant, her shoulders pulling back as she meets Santana’s eyes, the mantle of beta resting easily on her frame.

Resting her hand on Quinn’s shoulder, Santana nods her head.  “Then let’s get started.”

As Quinn calls everyone to the ceremonial circle, Santana feels an amazing sense of pride watching her pack in their fine apparel, their heads held high as they step forward.  Despite all the things about becoming a hybrid that she still struggles with, Santana can’t deny the rush of power it gives her to see her pack this way, the pride of responsibility right on its heels.  Meeting Quinn’s calm hazel eyes, she is grateful that she can share this with her, the first member of her pack.  They’d both come a long way since their first encounter with each other and as Santana has learned to find her way as alpha, having Quinn there for guidance and support has proved invaluable, especially during these more official moments.  With a quick deep breath, Santana faces forward and starts the Dacrem.

“I call upon all of you to step forward and say your wolf names, taken when you joined my pack.  Upon doing so, you will let the Spirits who guide us know that you are gathered here together tonight as a pack and of your own free will.  As you offer the truth of your being, so you request the truth of their wisdom.”

 _Quinn._ “Tagek.”

 _Rachel_. “Agaras.”

 _Nicolas_. ”Savune.”

 _Malek_. “Khelin.”

 _Connell_. “Breniras.”

Lifting her chin, Santana offers her own name in a calm voice.  “Arcesht.  We offer our names humbly to our ancestors and to our Earth spirits and we ask for strength, guidance, and clarity.  I call now for the ceremonial fire to be lit.”

As the omega, Connell steps forward, the last one of the pack providing balance as the first one to start to the ceremony.  Santana’s can see the pride in her pack’s eyes as Connell lights the fire, the playfulness from earlier gone under the sacred ritual of the Dacrem, and she sees this reflected in the seriousness on Connell’s face.  Touched by it, she offers him a small smile as he takes a small step back, remaining within a couple feet of the fire as Santana whispers a spell to enchant the fire, ensuring that it will burn for the duration of their Dacrem.

“I call now for an offering, given in trust and accepted freely.”

Quinn steps forward with Rachel, gently holding Rachel’s hand as she holds it up over the fire.  The metal sound of a ceremonial dagger being pulled from its sheath joins the crackling sound of the fire, Quinn meeting Rachel’s eyes before slicing quickly across her palm.  Cupping her hand under Rachel’s, Quinn allows the blood to pool for a few seconds before holding her hand open, letting the blood drip into the fire.  Rachel and Quinn never look away from each other and Santana feels her cheeks warm slightly at the emotion she can see between them.  As Rachel curls her hand into a fist, Quinn places the dagger back in the sheath at her waist, both of them turning and meeting Santana’s eyes before stepping back and joining Connell in facing the fire.

“I call now for a sacrifice, taken in respect and given with the same.”

At that, Nicolas steps forward, a rabbit held limply in his hands.  Closing his eyes briefly, he whispers an offering of gratitude to the animal for its sacrifice, gently placing it into the fire where it burns red for a moment before disappearing.  Nicolas steps back and watches the fire for a moment before glancing over at Santana, his hands clasped behind his back as he waits calmly for her to continue.

“I call for an offer of humility, shown without deceit and received with honor.”

Across from Santana, Malek steps forward, his eyes locked onto hers across the fire as he rolls up the sleeve of his tunic, baring his hand to the fire.  Holding it across the flames, Malek keeps Santana’s gaze, allowing her to see his pain as his fingers flex against the heat.  After another moment, he steps back, his hand held out to the side as stands next to Rachel by the fire.

With the final offering, Santana steps forward and looks at her pack, her voice slightly rushed as she makes her way over to the other side of the fire.  “The final offering is love and I give this of myself to my pack, bestowed truly and with purity of intent.”

Reaching out, she takes Rachel’s and Malek’s hands in hers, healing them with her magic and taking the pain of her pack into herself as her sign of love for them.  Exhaling a long breath, Santana releases them, both Rachel and Malek offering her a smile as she makes her way back to where she was standing.

With the offerings complete and with all of them now standing inside the ceremonial circle with the fire lit, the Dacrem can finally truly begin and Santana brushes her hair away from her face before speaking. “Here in this circle, you can share your opinions freely.  Pack order is put aside and there are no repercussions for what you say but you will respect each other and you will respect my final decision.  Are you all in agreement?”

After they all nod their heads, Santana continues.  “With the arrival of Brittany the other night, and with the fall of the coven at Willowcrest, I want to know if you all think it’s time to reevaluate our position here.  I believe we are still safe but I want your confidence in that assessment.  Also, we have remained secluded from this war since seeking refuge here. Each with our own reasons for doing so but also we’ve done so for the good of this pack.  I told you all when we first decided to make this our home that there would come a time when we may have to move on and with these two most recent events, after things remaining quiet for a while, is that time now?”

Surprisingly, it’s Connell that speaks first, his eyes on Rachel first before looking over at Santana. “I like this place, Santana.  As you know, after Rachel and I fled Winterhaven, we didn’t stop moving for weeks, resting for a day at best before moving on again.  This place here, it’s the first place that’s felt like home in a while.  And, I like Brittany.  I don’t mind that she’s here.”

The sweetness of Connell’s sentiment puts a smile on Santana’s face and she sees Rachel smiling at Connell as well.  Santana expected something like this from Connell, the goodness of his heart readily apparent to anyone who spends more than a few minutes with him, and so she accepts his opinion but knows that there are more practical considerations and trusts that other members of her pack will speak to them.

She’s not disappointed as Malek’s voice rumbles from his chest, his face as serious as Connell’s was relaxed.  “Brittany being here doesn’t concern me.  If those _grustneks_ wanted to, they would have come back the following day or night to pick up her trail.  Or try to pick up her trail and they haven’t.”

“So far.  Just because it’s been a few days doesn’t mean that they won’t come back.”

Looking at Nicholas, Quinn responds to his observation, shrugging her shoulders as she answers him.  “I said the same to Santana and she made a valid point, Nicolas.  Her magic has held this whole time and we’ve gone undetected for months.  Even if they came back, they would see nothing.”

“But Brittany found her cabin.”

Quinn’s eyebrow arches as she glances at Santana, keeping her tone respectful even as she doesn’t miss the opportunity to tease Santana a little.  “Well now, that’s true.  But I think that’s something for Santana to talk to Brittany about, don’t you?”

“Brittany’s shown that she isn’t a threat and I think that Quinn is right in saying that whatever allowed Brittany to find Santana’s cabin should be discussed between them.“

Rachel’s agreement with Quinn is nothing new but there is something to both of them acknowledging her relationship to Brittany in some small way, whatever it might be, that has Santana wanting to smile.  Putting that thought aside for now, Santana brings the conversation back to the main point at hand, meeting Malek’s gaze across the fire.  “Willowcrest is far enough away that I don’t believe that those that attacked that coven will be a threat but, with the coven gone at Rivers Run, and the other one last month in Raker’s Point, is it time that we do something?”

“Do you mean join the resistance, Santana?”

Malek’s question is a valid one and it’s one that Santana had been vaguely considering before Brittany had even showed up.  She wasn’t under any false impressions that they could remain there untouched forever.  Even with the fighting concentrated far east of their position, Brittany’s arrival there was as much a reminder as any that it may soon be the case that no land would be safe from Aleksander and his dark army.  Despite her reluctance to risk her life and the lives of her pack, Santana is forced to acknowledge that sooner or later, they will all have to wade back into the dangers of this war.  She’s just not so sure that now is the right time.

Shaking her head, Santana takes a moment to look around at her pack before answering his question.  “No, not that, not…yet.  Do you all still feel safe here?  Do you want to leave and find another place?  I know where Connell stands on this but where do you all stand?”

“I’m with Connell and not just because he’s my brother.  This place we’ve made here, it’s a good place, Santana.  I’m happy here and I think we should try to hold onto this place for as long as we can.”

Santana’s gets a nod from Malek and she looks over to Nicolas who is once again looking into the fire.  “Nicolas?”

“You know I’ve never had a home, Santana.  This place is as good as any.”

“Well, thank you for the strong vote of confidence.”

Flushing at Santana’s tone, Nicolas runs a hand over his beard before turning to face her more fully.  “That’s not…I just mean, my home is with you.  And with the pack.  Wherever you all are, that’s my home.  And if here is where we lay our head at night and where we share our meals and where I can consistently win some coin from Connell in a game of _woust_ , then here is where I’ll remain.”

Looking away as Connell reaches over to punch Nicolas’ arm lightly, Santana finds Quinn watching her and she angles her body towards her.  “Quinn, you’ve been quiet.  What do you think?”

“I think it took us a long time to find this place and we’ve all been through a lot to get here.  I think we all deserve a little piece of happiness and peace while we have it for as long as we can have it.  The war will come to our doorstep soon enough and I don’t know about you all, but I’m not eager to meet it.  Not just yet.  Not after everything.”

The look in Quinn’s eyes is a familiar one to Santana and the emotion in Quinn’s voice has Santana holding her gaze a little longer.  The shared history between them is a heavy one and she knows the yearning of Quinn to have a place to call home, without the fighting, because it’s one she shares as well.  As she prepares to state her opinion and what will become the final say in the matter, Santana has to push down the tiny part of her that’s uncomfortable with not doing anything while there are witches out there dying but when she assumed the role of alpha, she took on the responsibility for these other people.  And at least for this moment, she doesn’t know that risking their lives on the off-chance that they could be found out is worth it.  She has to trust that her magic will hold and even though she recognizes the irony in thinking it, she has to trust that there are people out there fighting back, keeping the darkness away from her door.

“It seems as if we are all in agreement.  For now, we will stay here and we will remain diligent in our patrols.  Though, we will expand the perimeters of our patrols and we will work out the scheduling for that so none of you bear the brunt of that.  As we all well know, safe havens have become few and far between and like you, I’m not ready to give this one up just yet.  However, I reserve the right to recall this Dacrem at any time if the situation changes, as is my right as alpha.  Are you all in agreeme…”

A twig snaps and Santana turns around, the fire clearly illuminating the figure behind her.  As the person approaches, Santana feels her heart sink as she sees the look on Brittany’s face.  Before she can say anything, a low growl sounds to her right and she looks back, the hazel of Quinn’s eyes growing lighter as she steps closer to where Brittany is standing.  “Quinn, don’t.”

Quinn stops advancing about a foot from the edge of the ceremonial circle and Santana can see the tension in the lines of her body, the disturbance of the Dacrem by an outsider a grave offense to Quinn.  Trusting that Quinn will still honor the rules of the ceremony regardless of her feelings, Santana turns back and meet’s Brittany’s blue eyes, unable to keep the confusion and slight hurt from her voice.  “Brittany, what are you doing here?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Dacrem disturbed, decisions have to be made that leave Brittany and Santana struggling to figure out where to go from here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for their continued interest in this story. A move to another state and the holidays put my opportunities to write on the back burner for a few months so I hope with the wait this chapter is worth it. Getting back into writing after taking off for a while is like trying to turn your alarm off when your hands have fallen asleep. You know you've done it before and the pressure to just get to it keeps building but your hands just don't want to cooperate the way you want them to. :-) Hopefully, I worked through most of the rust with this chapter. LOL
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

The moment that Brittany sees Santana’s face, she knows she made a huge mistake. Santana’s question requires an answer but as Brittany looks around, she starts to doubt that the one she has for Santana will appease her. Thinking back to the moments after Santana left the cabin earlier, Brittany replays them over again in her head, hoping she’ll find the answer to give Santana that could possibly justify what she just did.

 

* * *

 

_Sitting alone in Santana’s cabin gives Brittany some time to think and while she attempts to distract herself, at first with sharpening her daggers, doubting thoughts started to push their way into her brain until she finds herself pacing the wooden floor._

_She can’t deny her curiosity about the ceremony but it would have been easy enough to dismiss that as simple interest and ask Santana questions once she returned later that night. It is the anxious curiosity that wouldn’t let her distract herself with her daggers. Brittany knows that she will be a topic of conversation at the Dacrem and that some part of their decision affects her. Not that she thinks it would be in a bad way, not with the closeness she is starting to feel with everyone, especially Santana. She feels like she can trust them, and trust Santana, but as she continues to wander around the cabin, the memories of the past few months of running and fighting for her life can’t be held back any longer. Despite the serenity of the few days with Santana and her pack, if those previous months taught her anything, it was that she had to look out for herself._

_Ruthlessly pushing the guilt down, Brittany’s pacing takes her to the front door of the cabin, her hesitation brief before she opens the door and makes her way across the open field to the woods. With her attention on her magic, splitting her concentration between a locator spell and a sound dampening spell, she assuages her guilt by telling herself that at least they wouldn’t be able to hear her. That she’d be able to sneak there and sneak back without anyone being the wiser._

_It only takes a short time before she finds them, arriving just as Santana was starting the ceremony and despite the guilt clawing its way up her chest, Brittany can’t look away. Seeing the pack like that, it is beautiful and humbling and she finds herself holding her breath as they each step forward for their part in the ceremony. Watching them, Brittany knows that somewhere in her mind are good memories of wolves, memories of coming across them in her youth that aren’t tinged with death and blood but those aren’t the ones she sees when she closed her eyes recently. She sees the broken bodies and blood of her coven and her family and the witches that lost their lives. To see Santana and her pack in this manner, it moves something in Brittany and her vow to only stay for a few moments vanishes as the discussion begins._

_However, that interest and curiosity soon gives way to anger the longer she listens to them talk about what to do. As the discussion wears on, Brittany finds her concentration breaking, the spell around her wavering as her anger starts to take over the longer she listens to them making their decisions. Even knowing that witches and wolves are out there dying, Santana and her pack decide to do nothing and Brittany closes her eyes, familiar images flashing behind them once more. With her focus gone and her anger growing, the spell breaks and they hear her as she steps toward their circle._

 

* * *

 

Brittany is brought back into the moment by Quinn, her step towards Brittany quick and Brittany’s fingers curled into fists on instinct, the anger inside of her seeming to match the expression on Quinn’s face. As Brittany took a step closer, the anger on Quinn’s face faded away as Santana’s face became Brittany’s focus, the hurt there relaxing Brittany’s hands, her heart still thumping wildly as she heard Santana order Quinn to stand down. Santana’s voice is soft as she questions Brittany and Brittany keeps her eyes on Santana even as she senses the rest of the pack staring at her.

“Santana…I…”

“You need to leave.”

“Santana, I just…”

“You need to leave. Now. Go wait for me back at my cabin.” Santana can sense Brittany’s hesitation and she can see the realization of her mistake written all over her face. She amends her statement, knowing she has to maintain a calm presence as alpha even as she feels lightheaded from the emotions pouring through her right now. “Please, just wait for me back at my cabin.”

Breaking eye contact with Santana, Brittany looks around and feels the hurt and confusion from the rest of the pack as a physical presence, her shoulders slumping with the weight of it. Opening her mouth to apologize, she glances over at Santana once more and her mouth closes slowly. With her pulse racing, Brittany turns around and feels shame following her every step. There’s the briefest moment where she considers running back to Santana’s cabin, grabbing her daggers, and fleeing but it’s gone as soon as it comes and she raises her chin and dismisses that notion. While she knows she’ll have to answer for her intrusion into the sacred ceremony, she has too much pride to back down from accepting that deserved rebuke. But more than that, after hearing what Santana and the pack discussed and agreed to, she’s not going to back down from talking to Santana about it, frustrated anger starting to push some of the shame away as she walks back to the cabin.

 

* * *

 

Even before Santana turns around she has her arm out, warning Quinn back. The tension in the circle reflects in the ceremonial fire, the flames burning a deeper red as it rises a little bit higher towards the night sky. Pushing her own feelings aside for the moment, Santana lifts her hands and settles the fire, tuning out Quinn’s accelerated breathing next to her as she gently lowers her hands, the strength of the ceremonial circle unbroken as Quinn remains standing near Santana.

Meeting Quinn’s hazel eyes, Santana steels herself for the words that will no doubt follow and she isn’t disappointed as Quinn gestures angrily in the direction that Brittany left. “She had no right.”

“I know.”

“How could she come here to our sacred ceremony, _our_ Dacrem, and intrude on something that has nothing to do with her?”

Nicolas’ voice is calm as he answers Quinn and Santana shoots him a look of gratitude. “It did a little bit though, Quinn. We _were_ talking about her.”

Turning on him, Quinn puts her hands on her hips, her voice anything but calm. “You would side with her, _brooka?_ It doesn’t matter what we discuss here, only that she shouldn’t have been anywhere near it. You know that.”

“I do. You’re right, Quinn. I’m not saying you’re not right. I’m just saying that I can understand why she might have been curious but I don’t agree with her coming here.”

“How did she know to come here, Santana?” Quinn’s eyes find Santana’s as she faces her and Santana reacts instinctively to the challenge in Quinn’s body language, her own body rigid as she answers Quinn.

“I told her about the Dacrem.”

“You told her about…”

“I also told her that it was a sacred ceremony and that she couldn’t attend.”

“A lot of good that did, didn’t it? It’s good to know that she respects you enough to listen to you.”

Malek shifts at the undercurrent in Quinn’s voice, stepping closer to Quinn and Santana as his deep voice cuts through the tension. “You would do well to have your own respect right now, Quinn.”

Quinn pauses at that but as the rules of the Dacrem still hold, she stands her ground, speaking her mind in the one place that she can’t be reprimanded for it. “I am. I do, Malek. But why aren’t any of you wondering why Brittany broke Santana’s trust and hell, even our trust, to come here tonight? Fine. You want to call it curiosity because we would be talking about her. That’s settled easy enough once Santana returned to her cabin. As a witch, Brittany and her coven would have their own rites and ceremonies so she knew…she _knows_ … what it means to intrude on one. Why then come here?”

Stepping closer to Santana, Quinn holds her gaze, Rachel’s hand suddenly appearing against her back doing nothing to dissuade Quinn from continuing to speak. “You don’t want to keep hearing it, Santana, but you have to consider that she was sent here after us. Why else would she use some kind of spell to sneak over here, because none of us heard her, and listen to what we were discussing, if not to use that information against us or pass it along to someone else who would?”

Santana hesitates, her trust in Quinn’s counsel forcing her to at least consider for a moment that Quinn may be right. Just as easily as the thought comes, it is dismissed as Santana thinks back to when she first saw Brittany, deceiving herself into thinking that her growing feelings for Brittany aren’t partially driving Santana’s belief that Brittany is not there to hurt them. “You didn’t see her the night she showed up at my cabin, Quinn. There is no way that she was anything but in fear for her life. She didn’t know who I was, or who we are, only that the cabin offered safe haven.”

“Santana…”

“No, Quinn. I’m telling you. She’s not here to hurt us.”

“You’ve been deceived before. How can you be so sure it’s not happening again?”

Rachel’s voice barely carries over the crackling of the fire but Santana hears her _Quinn, that’s enough_ clearly and the ceremonial fire rages slightly again as Santana absorbs Quinn’s statement. The pinprick of hurt seems to be shared between them as Quinn’s features fall, the remorse instant as she lets out a deep breath. Santana can sense the apology about to spill forth and she cuts Quinn off, the mantle of alpha pulling her shoulders back. “This was not the purpose of the Dacrem tonight. The purpose of the Dacrem has been completed and so I am calling the ceremony to an end.”

Santana notices that Quinn steps back by her place in front of the fire with a little encouragement from Rachel but she keeps her eyes forward, waiting until her pack had resumed their positions once more. Inhaling deeply, Santana lifts her hands once more, watching as her pack does the same.

“We give thanks to our ancestors and our Earth spirits for standing with us in our circle this night. The truth of our hearts came through our words, guided there by your presence, and those words were received by the pack, for the pack. We honor you and we ask that should we need you need to bear witness again, that you will find our intentions true and our pack bond strong. _Byek ramen hist strave prakst kem ghusk oly Dacrem_.”

Clearing her mind, Santana listens as each member of her pack repeats her words, her voice joining in with theirs on the final prayer of thanks. Together Santana and Connell step forward, the first and last members of the pack the only ones that can extinguish the ceremonial fire. As Connell repeats the final words of the prayer again, Santana holds her hands over the flame, sending a wave of cooling magic down until the fire winks away, only the circle of rocks remaining.

As soon as the ceremony concludes, Quinn turns and walks away into the darkness of the woods behind them, Santana’s instinct having her take a step in Quinn’s direction. Stopped by Malek’s hand landing gently on her shoulder, Santana watches as Rachel heads off after Quinn. With the needs of closing the ceremony no longer holding her focus, Santana’s heart clenches as she replays not only Brittany’s arrival at the Dacrem but also the words she exchanged with Quinn, both of them leaving her unsettled. With Connell and Nicholas talking quietly off to the side, Santana turns to face Malek, his other hand coming to rest on her shoulder.

“Give her a little bit of time, Santana. Interrupting the ceremony would have hurt her and I don’t believe she meant the things she said about Brittany. She lashed out and while I don’t agree with it, I can understand it, even just a little bit. Having been born a wolf, I can understand her hurt. We feel it differently than you do. It’s hard to explain. Being turned doesn’t make you any less of a wolf but there is something to having it in your bloodline, the traditions that are passed down are as much a part of us as our eye color.”

Bristling a little under Malek’s observation, Santana shrugs his hands from her shoulders, holding her own hands up and letting her magic flicker red across her fingertips like lightning. “I was born a witch, Malek. Do you think me without my own traditions? Without my own ceremonies? I understand how she feels. I’m not…it’s not that I’m mad at her, exactly. I just…forget it.”

Malek’s stern features remain steadfast on Santana’s face and he crosses his arms across his chest, his silence as much of an encouragement as if he had asked Santana to continue her thought. With a sigh, Santana looks over to make sure that Nicolas and Connell are still talking before leaning just a little bit closer to Malek.

“I feel protective over Brittany. And before you say anything, I already know that I’ve only known her for a few days and that yes, there is a small chance that what Quinn thinks will come to pass but I meant what I said. None of you saw her that night she came bursting into my cabin. Her fear was so tangible that I shifted without realizing it, my instinct to protect myself, and her, rushing through me in an instant, Malek. If danger is brought to our doorstep, it will not be through Brittany’s willing actions. I just wish Quinn would trust me on this.”

“She worries for you. We all do, in our own way. We protect you as much as you protect us and while I don’t believe Quinn is challenging you when she questions you, I think it would be good for you and her to talk.”

Looking back in the direction where Quinn had disappeared, Santana tilts her head back with a sigh, her eyes cutting over to where Brittany had walked off a little while earlier. As Malek’s hand falls to her shoulder once more, Santana pushes away the ache in her chest, responsibility and duty taking its place. Before she can speak, Malek gently squeezes her shoulder, nudging her lightly in the direction of the cabins. “Go speak with Brittany, Santana. I’ll see to everyone and make sure we all end up back home just fine.”

Reaching up, Santana covers Malek’s hand with hers, her gratitude conveyed in the quiet look shared between them. Stepping away from him to leave, she’s brought up short by Connell. “Santana, I know what Brittany did was wrong but I hope you’re not too mad at her. Maybe she just didn’t completely understand what you said about the Dacrem or something.”

Santana smiles at Connell’s inherent sweetness and knows that his easy way of making friends means that forgiveness is usually a thing readily given. She doesn’t have the heart to tell him that Brittany no doubt knew what she was intruding on and something in her made it do anyway, risking not only the wrath of her pack but the hurt that she can see behind Connell’s light brown eyes.   Nodding her head, Santana affectionately adjusts the ties of Connell’s tunic, resting her hand against his chest as she answers him. “Maybe you’re right. I’m going to go speak with her right now and see."

“Okay, Santana.”

Turning away, Santana heads into the woods, instinct carrying her around bushes and trees as she raises her hands slightly, testing the barrier the closer she gets to the clearing. The action pulls at her brow, a scowl firmly in place as the use of magic makes her think of Brittany and her sudden appearance at the Dacrem. Despite what she said to Connell, Santana knows that Brittany knew what she was doing by showing up there and as she clears the woods, Santana’s anger has warmth blooming below her skin, her magic reacting to her turbulent thoughts. She spots Brittany easy enough, her blonde hair light in the moonlight above them, as she paces back and forth in front of the fence surrounding Santana’s cabin. Santana sees the moment that Brittany senses her presence, her agitated pacing slowing until she turns and faces Santana, watching her until Santana is a few feet from her.

Holding her hands up, Brittany feels the apologies bursting forth, a small tinge of panic mixing with her guilt as Santana looks at her, her expression unreadable except for the anger that is as obvious as the hum of magic Brittany can feel in the air around them. “Santana, I am so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have gone to the Dacrem after you asked me not to go.”

“No. You shouldn’t have. Brittany, why did you go? You interrupted a sacred ceremony, something that is important for me and my pack. As high council, I know you had your own ceremonies, your own sacred rites. How could you do what you did?”

Holding Santana’s gaze, Brittany can see that she also hurt Santana and the ache of putting it there brings her a step closer, the instinct to make things better between them freeing her words before she can take them back. “I wasn’t going to go. I promise. But the longer I sat in the cabin, the more I thought, and the more I thought, the more I realized that I couldn’t sit back while you all discussed what to do about me. I used my magic to find you and I also made it so that you couldn’t hear me as I made my way through the woods. I figured I could go and just listen for a few minutes and you’d never even know I was there.”

“How does using your magic so we wouldn’t hear you make any of what you said any better?”

“I know, okay? I’m really sorry but…”

“No. There’s no qualifying it. You just shouldn’t have gone there tonight. Other than eavesdropping, what did you hope to accomplish by going to the Dacrem?”

“Nothing.” The scoffing noise that Santana makes raises Brittany’s chin and her guilt gives way to anger as she thinks back to what made her lose focus in the first place and break the dampening spell. “Nothing. Just like what you’re going to do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I heard what you said. You’re not going to do anything. You’re just going to stay here and do nothing while our kind keeps getting killed.” Even as she watches the red tendrils of Santana’s magic begin to trail across her fingers and move over her wrists, Brittany continues on, her anger awakening her own magic as she meets Santana's glare head on. “I knew you were a hybrid, Santana, but I didn’t know you were also a coward.”

The stunned silence that follows Brittany’s statement feels louder than any scream as Santana absorbs the words, and the emotion, behind them. The rest of the clearing falls away as Santana can only look at Brittany, Santana’s breathing accelerating as the full impact of Brittany’s words hit her. Her magic feels like a live thing and she flexes her fingers in response, her forearms tingling as her magic works its way up her arms.

Even if she wasn’t watching Santana’s reaction to what she just said, Brittany knew the minute the words left her mouth that she shouldn’t have said them. Part of her wants to take them back immediately, an apology ready on the tip of her tongue, but another part of her, a darker part of her, meets Santana’s anger with anger. The longer they stand there, the more Brittany thinks about what she heard at the Dacrem and all the helplessness and hopelessness she’s been feeling these past few months start to slide through her bloodstream like poison. Her own magic reacts to it, blue light curling like smoke over her fingers to pulse in streams toward her shoulders, a distant part of her brain recognizing that the air is starting to crackle like a static charge in the space between her body and Santana’s.

It’s Santana that finally breaks the silence, her voice deadly quiet as she pins Brittany with her stare. “You think I’m a coward?”

There’s something in the way that she says it that has Brittany stumbling over her anger, her breath pushing past barely parted lips as she searches Santana’s eyes. For the second time that night, Brittany recognizes the hurt she’s brought to Santana and despite her feelings on everything else she said, she knows that calling Santana a coward is something she should have never done. “No, I don’t. I’m sorry I said that. You’re not a coward. It’s not…I didn’t mean…I just, Santana…why did you decide to not do anything? Even with the covens around you being wiped out, your decision was to do nothing. Why?”

“You were there, Brittany.” Santana’s reminder of her intrusion brings a flush to Brittany’s cheeks but she forces herself to stand in front of Santana, listening as Santana continues. “You heard the reason. Every single one of us has fought to have what we have here. And what we have here is life, when out there it seems like it is only death. I have a duty to protect myself and my pack. And I know that I can do that here.”

It’s the weariness in Santana’s voice that has Brittany taking a deep breath, willingly pulling back on her magic as she watches Santana do the same, the ground between them fading back to a muted moonlit glow as their magic is absorbed back into their bodies. Gesturing behind her, Brittany’s voice is even as she responds. “You can’t hide here forever. You have to know that.”

“I know that but it’s what we’re going to do for now.”

Running her hand across her face, Brittany takes a few steps away from Santana, pacing in silence for a moment before looking back at Santana. “So, that’s it? You’re just going to stay here?”

“You’re welcome to stay with us.”

“Hide out with you, you mean.”

Santana bristles at that, stepping closer to Brittany with a twisted smile as she points to her cabin over Brittany’s shoulder.   “Well, it was good enough for you when you were running for your life, now wasn’t it?”

Brittany stops moving at that, exasperated and frustrated with the circles they seem to be talking in and she makes a conscious effort to soften her tone, coming to stand in front of Santana once more. “And it was. It is. But, Santana, I can’t stay here forever.”

The pang Santana feels over the realization that Brittany might not stay there, that she might leave, surprises Santana in its intensity. Before she can fully process it, Brittany continues. “I know you have an obligation to your pack, but I can’t _not_ do anything. We are dying out there. I have to do something, don’t you see? I have to do something, otherwise I’m just waiting around to die.”

Unable to argue against Brittany’s logic, Santana ruthlessly pushes away the selfishness that wells up inside of her that almost wants to beg Brittany to stay, the moonlight cast over Brittany’s face mocking Santana as Brittany’s beauty seems to be highlighted for Santana’s eyes only. Relaxing her stance, Santana quietly asks Brittany what she wants to do, internally bracing for the decision that will take Brittany out of her life for good.

Lightly sighing, Brittany shrugs her shoulders, torn between what she wants to do and what she should do and for the first time, she feels like she understands Santana just a little bit better. Unaware that Santana is doing the same just a few feet away from her, Brittany pushes her feelings to the side and formulates her plan, resting against the fence at her back as Santana walks over and does the same. “When I was traveling with Siobhan, she used to talk about a coven that was hiding out at this sacred church in Vasperk. The church was carved into the side of the mountain on the edge of town and she believed that the coven would be protected there, their shielding magic and the mountain’s natural cover protecting them from detection.”

“What was so special about that coven?”

“She said that they were working on a way to stop Aleksander or, at least, find a way to neutralize the dark magic so that his forces weren’t so strong.”

“Brittany, not to be negative, but isn’t that what every coven fighting against him is trying to do?”

Glancing sideways, Brittany meets Santana’s eyes and nods her head. “Yes but…I don’t know. Siobhan seemed to believe that there was something special about this particular coven. She believed that of all of us, they might be the ones to actually accomplish that feat.”

Even though she knows where Brittany is going with her words, Santana asks the question anyway, her hands slipping behind her back to grip the wood of the fence behind her. “Why mention this coven to me?”

“I think I want to go there. If there’s even a chance that what Siobhan said is true, I need to see for myself and offer whatever help I can. If the destruction of the coven at Willowcrest shows us anything, it is that our time is running out. There will only be so many places we can hide. This place included.”

Breaking eye contact, Santana looks toward the woods, busying herself with studying the tree line as she asks Brittany another important question. “When are you thinking about leaving?”

Keeping her eyes on the side of Santana’s face, Brittany takes a moment to take in Santana’s features, a part of her already mourning the loss of what might have been between her and Santana. Brittany had seen beauty before and as a young girl she had recognized that her heart and body were more in tune with the pretty girls around her than the handsome boys her sister blushed over. But standing next to Santana, Brittany was sure she had never felt a yearning for someone like the one she felt for the beautiful woman at her side. These few days with Santana had opened up something inside of Brittany and as she thought about the answer she was going to give Santana, she felt the warmth of that possibility drain away, leaving her with an uncomfortable hollow feeling. “I think probably in the next day or two. I need to let my energy recharge and, if it’s okay with you, maybe take a few supplies with me. I promise you that when I’m able, I’ll repay you for the supplies. And for your kindness.”

Waving Brittany off, Santana shakes her head and pushes off the fence, unable to meet Brittany’s eyes as the unfamiliar ache starts to bloom again in her chest. “Nonsense. You owe me no such thing, Brittany. Like I told you on that first day, you are welcome to anything in my cabin. And as for my kindness, having your company these past few days have been payment enough.”

As her words trail off, Santana feels the ache continuing to grow over the thought of Brittany leaving. It’s a dull pain, mixed with anxiety, and Santana doesn’t like the way it feels as it continues to move through her body, Brittany’s small movement against the fence drawing Santana’s attention. The blue of Brittany’s eyes is startling against the pale skin of her face and Santana never looks away as she opens her mouth, her sly heart making a decision before she has time to think about the full ramifications. “What if I escort you to the church at Vasperk?”

“What?”

Brittany looks just as surprised to hear the offer as Santana feels making it. There are a million reasons why this offer is crazy, the least of which is that is goes against everything that Santana decided in the Dacrem. Not only is she making the offer without consulting her pack but at the heart of it, she’s knows she’s making the offer to keep Brittany around a little longer than just the next day or two. Vasperk is just over a week’s travel from here, and even though she’d only be extending their time together by a week or two at most, Santana selfishly feels better for having offered.

Shifting until she’s facing Santana fully, Brittany searches her face for a minute, caught off guard by Santana’s offer. The sore point of Brittany having intruded on the Dacrem is still tender between them and Brittany can’t help but wonder why Santana would even consider suggesting something like this. “Come with me to the church? But I thought…I mean, after what you said…are you sure? What about the others?”

Santana feels conflicted and looks towards the woods once more, her connection to her pack letting her know that they are close to returning home. What Brittany said to her earlier struck a nerve and pushing her thoughts about Brittany aside, the more Santana thinks about it the more she feels like this is the right thing to do. Protecting Brittany at least as far as the church will hopefully assuage the lingering guilt that Santana feels about deciding to not do anything at all. Santana knows that her and her pack are not ready to leave their sanctuary and head out into the field of battle just yet but maybe this favor to Brittany will curb the worst of the sting from Brittany calling her a coward.

With one last lingering look to the trees, Santana meets Brittany’s question with a bit of false conviction, hoping that she’ll be able to convince the pack to go with them. “I’ll talk to them. I think they’ll go along with my request.”

“And if they don’t?” Brittany hates asking that question, the chance that Santana will retract her offer if the pack is adamantly opposed to it adding a dash of reality to the flutter of excitement she felt over being able to travel with Santana. Having come to think of the others as new friends, Brittany would love the chance to spend more time with them too. As she observes Santana squaring her shoulders, the light wind carrying her dark hair to brush gently across Santana’s face before settling, Brittany knows that it’s the woman in front of her making Brittany hope that the pack agree to Santana’s plan.

“I’m the alpha. If it comes to it, I can order them to follow me and go with you to protect you on your trip.” Santana’s bravado sneaks up on her and she replays Brittany’s words over in her head. _I have to do something otherwise I’m just waiting around to die_. There’s something to Brittany’s bravery that inspires her and as Brittany smiles, Santana already starts formulating the reasoning she’s going to use when she talks to Quinn and the others shortly. The trip shouldn’t take them too long, in the grand scheme of things, and with all of them together _and_ with the addition of Brittany’s magic, Santana can almost convince herself that she could make this work as a plan. It’s her way of protecting Brittany for a little bit longer and if she gets to spend more time with her because of it, her pack doesn’t need to know that exactly.

Santana’s thoughts come to an abrupt halt as she realizes that in the course of talking with Brittany, they’d both inched closer and closer until only a couple of feet separate them. Santana has half a moment to process Brittany’s nearness before she is enveloped in a hug, Brittany’s arms sliding across her back seeming to hold Santana in place. Santana’s brain kicks in a few seconds later and her arms return Brittany’s embrace, tightening slightly as she hears Brittany softly whisper an apology again for going to the Dacrem, her words even softer as she thanks Santana for the offer of escorting her. With Brittany seeming to be content to not pull away right away, Santana closes her eyes, acutely aware that their magic is still charged and she can feel Brittany’s body heating hers wherever there is contact.

The impulse to hug Santana wasn’t something that Brittany thought about, her instinct to physically express her gratitude something that’s been in her since she was a little girl. But the longer she and Santana stand there with their arms around each other, heat pulsing like tiny waves as the magic between them seeks to connect as well, Brittany realizes that maybe it was something she should have thought about. This night has been a whirlwind of emotions and the ones being stirred to life as she feels the outline of Santana’s body against hers feel dangerous and exciting, Brittany’s heartbeat reacting with a more urgent rhythm and Brittany pulls back suddenly, afraid that Santana will feel the way its beating against her own chest.

With her eyes closed, Santana is slow to react to Brittany pulling away and when she finally does let go, Brittany seems closer than before, the moonlight mixing with the halo of magic Santana can see seeming to glow under Brittany’s skin. _Beautiful_. The word feels like smoke moving through Santana’s mind as she takes in Brittany’s features, reason fading away behind the image of the woman in front of her and Santana’s body tightens, everything in her suddenly aching to kiss Brittany. As she watches Brittany’s lips part, Santana’s body sways forward before hesitating, a deeper feeling washing through her as her body tingles with awareness, a clear sign that her pack is almost at the clearing. Stepping back suddenly, she keeps her eyes on Brittany’s even as she spots the distinct shapes of her pack clearing the line of trees out of the corner of her eye. She knows that Brittany knows she was about to kiss her and as her pack trots across the grass, Santana breaks eye contact, her regret twofold as she realizes the pack is returning in wolf form. It’s their way of bonding after a Dacrem and Santana feels the sting as she thinks about how she probably should have joined them. But as Brittany lifts her hand to run the back of her fingers across her mouth, Santana’s jaw clenches slightly as she takes another small step away from Brittany once more.

Watching her pack as they shift, Santana feels the pull to both them and Brittany as a physical force, her body turned towards both. This balancing act that she’s been doing between being the alpha that her pack needs and wanting to explore this thing happening between her and Brittany has been draining so far. Letting out a slow breath to release the rush of anger she feels over the situation, Santana laments that she couldn’t have meet Brittany as a witch, both of them on equal ground instead of the situation they find themselves in now. Brittany’s small tap on her shoulder brings Santana’s attention back to her and she tunes out the small talk of the group as they get closer.

“Santana? Would it be okay if I spoke to them now?”

Covering her nerves with a small smile, Brittany hopes that Santana will grant her this request. Brittany had never been one to back away from giving an apology and the one she needs to give Santana’s pack is probably one of the most important ones she’s had to give in her life. Shame and regret wash across Brittany’s back like a physical touch and she pulls her shoulders back in response, steeling herself for whatever comes her way. Keeping her eyes on Santana, even as all she wants to do is turn and see if there is a group of angry faces aimed in her direction, Brittany feels her tension ease a tiny amount as Santana gives her a slightly reassuring smile and calls the pack over to where she and Brittany are standing.

Connell’s is the first face Brittany sees and she’s surprised at the smile she can see around his eyes, Rachel’s face more neutral as she comes to stand next to her twin. Malek’s face is impassive but his body language is relaxed and Brittany’s hope that forgiveness might be found stirs faintly inside of her. Nicolas and Quinn are the last to arrive and Brittany forces herself to meet Quinn’s gaze head on, the bright anger in them quickly extinguishing the hope that this might go smoothly. In addition to wanting to see the anger in those hazel eyes disappear, Brittany wants to reclaim the ground she felt she’d made with Quinn, especially after breakfast this morning. If not friendship tentatively explored between them, there was a least a budding courtesy and given Quinn’s importance in Santana’s life, Brittany understands that she has to make things right between them. Their staring contest is broken as Nicolas continues walking until he’s standing slightly in front of Quinn and next to Santana and the circle they have formed isn’t lost on Brittany. With her conscience heavy as her eyes flick towards Santana, Brittany finds the support she needs to lay her shame bare in front of the pack.

“I owe all of you an apology. Intruding on your Dacrem would be bad enough if it was only innocent curiosity that brought me there. Coming out there tonight, after Santana asked me not to, is as insulting as it is wrong and I want each of you to know that I am truly sorry. I need you all to know that it wasn’t out of casual disregard or disrespect that I went to the Dacrem. My life these past few months has seemed like a never-ending series of decisions where my only choices were to live or to die. And I’m not saying that my decision tonight was a life or death decision but my life was going to be a part of the Dacrem tonight and giving that control up to others when I can’t have a say isn’t something that I’ve learned how to do just yet. I can’t say that I _should_ have trusted that your decisions wouldn’t affect me adversely because we’ve all only known each other a few days but what I can say is that you have all shown me nothing but goodwill and hospitality since I showed up here. I feel like, in some small way, I can call you my friends and the last thing I would ever want is to take advantage of a friendship or dishonor it and I’m afraid I might have done both tonight. If I can’t be granted your friendship again, I hope that I may at least be given your forgiveness. Coming to the Dacrem tonight was not a decision I made lightly but I can promise you that it isn’t a decision that will ever be made again.”

Finishing speaking, Brittany stands up taller, preparing herself for any rebuke sent her way. It’s Malek who speaks first, startling her slightly as he steps forward to stand in front of her. “An apology made with sincerity will always be accepted. You will have to settle with yourself the feelings you have for disturbing something so sacred but there is no damage you have done here that cannot be rebuilt, _draka_.”

With a nod towards Santana, Malek moves towards the fence before Brittany can thank him, leaning his weight against it as Connell moves to take his place. Despite the gravity of the situation, Brittany’s feels her lips tugging upward into a smile as Connell’s easy grin greets her. “I can see why you did what you did, Brittany, and it’s okay. I mean, it’s not exactly okay but it will be. You should know that we wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”

“I know, Connell. It wasn’t that, exactly, it was…”

“You were afraid.” Connell’s smile falls and for the first time, the youthfulness always apparent in his easy smile and kind eyes is replaced by a seriousness that seems more appropriate for the age he should be for being Rachel’s twin. “I can understand that. Believe me, I get it. We get it,” Connell looks over his shoulder as Rachel comes forward, her hand rubbing across Connell’s shoulder in support, before looking back at Brittany and continuing, “but you won’t find pain here. Santana made sure of that.”

As quickly as his seriousness appears, it’s soon replaced by Connell’s slow smile, his arm going around Rachel’s shoulder as he pulls her to his side. “Everything will be okay. You’ll see. Right, Rachel?”

Indulging Connell with a smile, Rachel slowly nods her head, her voice even as Brittany sees Quinn out of the corner of her eye fidgeting restlessly. “I’m not going to beat you up over something you did that you know was wrong. You’ve admitted it and apologized for it and there isn’t anyone here who can claim that they’ve gone their whole life without any slights or wrongdoing.”

“Thank you, both of you.”

Glancing past them, Brittany meets Nicolas’ eyes, hoping her apology would have the same reception and to her relief, it seems it has as Nicolas inclines his head towards Brittany, giving her a smile before moving aside as Quinn steps forward. Of the pack, it is Quinn who Brittany knows might be the only holdout against extending the same forgiveness that Malek and the others did. Taking a step in Quinn’s direction, Brittany lifts her chin and takes a deep breath, taking a small comfort in the fact that Quinn hasn’t attacked her yet, choosing to believe that as a sign of her apology at least being received, if not completely accepted.

“It was wrong what you did.”

“I know.”

Quinn’s gaze never waivers as she continues talking and Brittany gives her the respect to not look away, even though the intensity is making the hair on the back of Brittany’s neck stand up. “You are a witch and I know you have your own sacred rites so to have you come to ours is an action I’m not sure I can forgive.”

Brittany’s shoulders slump a little bit at that, the tension in the group rising just a little bit as Quinn takes another step forward, her eyes glancing over at Santana before she speaks again. “But, I’m willing to try.”

Extending her hand forward, Brittany holds it out, willing her arm to remain steady as a few seconds pass before Quinn grips her forearm, the warrior’s handshake given and received as a sign of respect. For the first time since her spell broke and Brittany was greeted with the disbelieving looks of Santana’s pack, Brittany feels like maybe things just might be okay. Stepping back once Quinn releases her arm, Brittany finds Santana watching them and her stomach drops just a little. Knowing that the next conversation that needs to be had may once again change the dynamic between her and the others, Brittany also senses that it’s one that needs to happen without her present. Before Santana can ask her to leave, Brittany excuses herself to return to Santana’s cabin, thanking the pack once again for hearing her out. Crossing the threshold to the cabin, Brittany closes the door and leans back heavily against the sturdy wood, her breath whooshes from her chest on a long exhale. Looking around, Brittany decides to see if Santana has some alcohol stashed somewhere, Brittany’s nerves clamoring for something stronger than just a few calming breaths.

 

* * *

 

Buying herself a few moments to gather her thoughts, Santana turns and faces her cabin, holding her hands in front of her as they start to glow a muted red. Closing her eyes, she gathers her magic and sends it out across her fingertips towards the cabin, raising her arms slowly as she casts a muffling spell around the structure. While she has no doubts that the lessoned learned tonight would prevent Brittany from trying to eavesdrop on the conversation she knows Santana is about to have with her pack, the nick of Brittany’s actions is still a little tender and Santana would rather not risk pouring salt in the wound.

The strain in her shoulders is a welcome burn as she finishes casting the spell, her muscles reacting to the flow of magic through them as she expands the red dome hovering over the roof of the cabin. Dropping her hands, she smiles faintly as the dome comes to rest gently against the ground, the dirt at her feet moving across her boots as the air in front of the cabin hums faintly with a static charge. The request she is about to make of her pack is not a light one, despite what she said to Brittany, and Santana uses the residual strength of her magic to give her the confidence to turn around and meet the eyes of her pack.

“What is it, Santana?”

Quinn’s eyes are curious as they take in Santana’s features, the others shuffling a little closer as Santana brushes her dark hair away from her face.

“First, I want to thank you for hearing Brittany out. And to also thank you for what you said to her in return. Secondly, I spoke with her for a little while after I returned from the Dacrem and Brittany has decided to set out in the next couple of days to leave for Vasperk.”

“Vasperk? For what purpose?”

“She believes there is a coven there taking refuge at a sacred church. A coven supposedly working on a way to stop Aleksander or at least weaken the dark magic and make him more vulnerable to attack. She wants to go there to see if she can help them in their endeavor.”

Pausing here, Santana’s nerves jump unsteadily as she knows the next part of what she says is the one that could bring the repaired accord between everyone crashing down. Steeling herself for their reaction, Santana continues, looking around at the group as she speaks. “I’d like to help her and escort her as far as the church. Given the attacks recently, Brittany’s own recent flight from attack included, I offered Brittany my…our protection to see her safely to Vasperk.”

A brief moment of silence greets her announcement before there is a flurry of motion, everyone stepping closer as a cacophony of questions come barreling at Santana.

“You want to leave here after we decided to stay?”

“Why is Brittany leaving?”

“Wasn’t Vasperk attacked two months ago?”

It’s Nicolas’ question that gets Santana’s attention and it seems the rest of the pack’s as well as their voices die down, all eyes on Santana as Nicolas repeats himself. “You said that given the attacks recently, you want to escort Brittany and protect her but…shouldn’t that be the reason we _don’t_ go?”

Inwardly, Santana cringes. She knows Nicolas’ point is a valid one but the thought of Brittany getting hurt when Santana has the opportunity to protect her isn’t sitting well. The strength with which she feels that way shocks Santana a little bit, considering that a week ago Brittany wasn’t even in their lives, but Santana likes to think that she would offer the same to any innocent that came under her protection. Her cheeks warm with the awareness that she’s lying to herself a little bit but she quickly moves on to the next thought that her pack is strong, that her own magic is strong, and that escorting Brittany presents a minimal amount of danger to them.

“Vasperk is only a week’s trip, two at most. I know we decided to hold back from entering back into this war and I am still standing by that decision. But I know, or at least I think I know, that each of us still holds some guilt every time we get word that another town has been destroyed and people have been lost in this fight against Aleksander. Protecting Brittany and making sure she reaches this coven safely, giving these people a chance to hurt the Sogues and everything that Aleksander is trying to do, this _is_ something we can do. It may not be much at the end of the day but it is at least an attempt to tip the scales in the right favor.”

The only thing greeting her words is silence, wisps of breath disappearing into the night air as a chill sweeps across the clearing. Their breathing is almost in unison as her pack watches her and Santana presses on, giving her pack the courtesy of holding each of their gazes in turn as she offers both humility and the request of their respect with her next words. “I would feel better doing this for her. I can’t speak to what is in your hearts on this matter but I am hoping that you will agree with me on this. I don’t want to command you as alpha to follow me on this trip as I would prefer that you make this decision of your own free will but…I feel strongly about this and I will command it if need be.”

Her heart is racing as she finishes, her absolute command as alpha never needed before and the fact that she would be using it for something like this, for Brittany, knocks some of the surety out of her plea and Santana almost finds that she wants to say _please_ but she refrains. When the pack remains quiet, Santana clears her throat, tugging on the edge of her shirt before pointing to the woods. “Do you want to reconvene the Dacrem? I would understand if you all did.”

Rachel moves first, leaving Connell’s side to go to Quinn, her back turned slightly to Santana as she speaks quietly to Quinn. While Rachel is speaking, Quinn’s eyes are on the cabin behind Santana, her head tilted to listen to Rachel. With a small touch of her hand to Quinn’s wrist, Rachel faces Santana and waits. Quinn remains looking towards the cabin for another long moment before meeting Santana’s eyes and moving to stand in front of her.

Santana knows that as beta, Quinn’s word will go far with the rest of the pack and having Rachel’s counsel doesn’t detract from that for Santana. Holding herself still as Quinn takes a breath to speak, Santana hopes that her beta, her friend, will support Santana’s decision.

“We’ll escort her as far as the church, no further. But you should know I’m doing this for you. For you, I’ll agree to go with you and take the pack out of the safety of our home here. Not for her. I wish her no harm and will protect her to my full abilities during our travels but it’s because you asked, Santana. Not because she wants to go.”

The distinction is one that Santana understands. The relief she feels is tempered only by the lingering worry that she might be putting her pack in danger but in her gut she believes what she told her pack. If she thought she was leading them on a journey that would hurt or kill them, she wouldn’t consider it for a moment. Even for Brittany and these burgeoning feelings sparking between them. Appreciating Quinn backing her, Santana understands that she would feel better hearing the rest of her pack agreeing as well, so she asks them to agree to escorting Brittany. One by one, they nod their heads with Rachel giving Santana a smile before agreeing as well. Thanking them, Santana looks over as Connell takes a few steps toward the back cabins before facing Santana.

“When do we leave?”

“I’d like some time to gather supplies and also to scout the area outside our perimeter a little bit. Despite what I said, in full honesty, I’d still feel a little better if we knew there were no immediate threats waiting for us as soon as we leave.”

Walking over, Connell pauses before hugging Santana briefly, tucking his hair behind his ear with a smile as he nods his head and leaves to make his way to his cabin. Clapping Santana on the back, Malek grunts his acknowledgement of the time table and follows Connell, Nicolas directly behind him, leaving Rachel and Quinn in front of Santana.

Like Connell, Rachel hugs Santana, holding it a little longer as she lowers her voice. “I’m looking forward to spending a little more time with Brittany, too.”

Pulling back from the hug, Santana sees an understanding in Rachel’s eyes that has her squeezing Rachel’s shoulders gently before letting her go. Heading over, Rachel kisses Quinn’s cheek, holding her hand briefly before quietly telling Quinn to come to bed soon. As she leaves, Quinn and Santana both pointedly ignore the blush blooming across Quinn’s face, the silence stretching between them for a few minutes. Santana wants to say something, finally having a moment alone with Quinn after the Dacrem, but Quinn surprises her, speaking first as she walks over and rests her hand on Santana’s shoulder.

“You know I’ll follow you anywhere, Santana. There is a debt between us that I can never repay and a wrong that will never be righted but I swore my life and fealty to you on that night long ago and that bond cannot and will never be broken. I won’t insult you by rehashing my reservations about Brittany but I am also not blind. I see your face when you look at her, and hers when she looks at you, and I am not so guided by mistrust that I would deny you whatever chance is being presented to you with her. I meant what I said. We will escort her only as far as the church.”

“Quinn, I understand and thank…”

Cutting Santana off, Quinn finally smiles, her eyes soft as she looks at Santana. “But, if the coven is willing, I’m sure the pack might be persuaded to stay a few days longer.”

Santana’s throat is tight with emotion and she steps forward to pull Quinn into a hug, thanking her and knowing that Quinn knows Santana’s gratitude is for a lot more than just the offer to escort Brittany. As they pull away, Santana holds onto Quinn’s forearm, nodding her head towards the cabin. “She _is_ truly sorry for intruding on the Dacrem, Quinn. She knows it’s a serious slight on something sacred and understands that she’ll need to make amends.”

“She will. I won’t beat her up over it though, Santana. It wouldn’t do the pack, or you, any good if I hung it over her head as we make this trip.” Quinn pauses for a moment and Santana sees her chin rise slightly as she glances over Santana’s shoulder before continuing, “You know, I can respect what she did, in a way. When you feel like you can only count on yourself, you’ll do anything to survive. I don’t like that she disobeyed you and I don’t like that she spied on something sacred between the pack but I can see why she might have felt like she needed to do it. She should have trusted us or at least trusted you. What did she think we were going to do? Banish her? Kill her?”

“She couldn’t have known what we would have done, even with these past few days of being with us. I don’t know about her exposure to wolves before this war started but I can say for certain that her exposure since then has been nothing but violent and filled with death. A few days of kindness might not have been enough to erase months of fear and distrust.”

“That’s fair. Given where she is now, I guess we’ll see how things go when she’s escorted by this pack of wolves. I don’t know if she’s quite ready for Connell’s need to eat through his supply of rations in the first day or for Malek’s snoring.”

The grin that Quinn gives Santana’s breaks some of the heaviness of the night and as Quinn walks away from Santana she can’t help but give Quinn a bit of her own medicine. “About that, let me know if you’d like me to cast a muffling spell that will travel with you and Rachel.”

The look on Quinn’s face has Santana laughing, the muffled curse word reaching Santana’s ears right before Quinn’s fast steps take her around Santana’s cabin and out of her line of sight. Lifting her hands, Santana finds that removing the muffling spell is easier than casting it, her magic stronger for having the bond with her pack reaffirmed tonight. With a deep breath of the cool night air, Santana heads into her cabin, shutting the door slowly as she spots Brittany at the table, two mugs of summer root rum in front of her.

Joining her at the table, Santana sits down and rests her elbows on the table, her palms flat on the table on either side of the mug that Brittany pushes towards her. Watching Brittany for a moment, Santana finally notices that Brittany has changed out of her tunic into a short sleeved one. Running her hands across the top of the table, Santana fights to keep her eyes from following the subtle line of muscles along Brittany’s forearm as she folds her hands in front of her. Brittany seems to sense the question in Santana’s eyes and surprises her by smiling, jerking her chin towards the front window. “Your spell made the cabin warm.”

“Ah. I’m sorry about that.”

Brittany knows that Santana is apologizing for more than the heat and shakes her head at the apology. “There’s no apology to be given, Santana. Your discussion was private and I respect that. Well, you know, now.”

Returning Brittany’s smile, Santana appreciates her attempt at a joke and relaxes a little more against the chair. “About that discussion, they’ve agreed to escort you to Vasperk.”

Sitting up a little straighter, Brittany feels her pulse race, her eyes searching Santana’s face. “Did they…did you have to make them agree?”

“I didn’t. They all agreed of their own free will.”

Blinking rapidly, Brittany looks down, swallowing away the emotion tightening her chest. That Santana’s pack would agree to help her, even after what she did tonight at their Dacrem, is another kindness in a line of many that they have shown her since she came here. Even after apologizing to both them and Santana, there is a tiny part of Brittany that still feels shame over acting the way she did, despite the reasons that she knows are valid, at least to her. Aware that Santana is quietly watching her, Brittany picks her head up and leans forward, bringing her closer to Santana. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Just promise me that you will come to me first if something worries you. I protect my pack because they are mine and I promise you that I will do the same for you.”

“I promise.”

“Good. Then I think there is just one more thing left to do…unless you brought these mugs on the table for decoration?”

As Brittany smiles at that, Santana reaches out to accept the mug that Brittany hands her, raising it up and holding it there, waiting for Brittany to do the same.

“To forgiveness. And to adventure. May neither come to be our downfall.”

Pulling her mug away before Santana could hit against it, Brittany looks directly at Santana, adding to her toast. “And to friendship.”

Santana knows there is more between them than friendship and she can see that the rest is implied as Brittany’s glance drops to her mouth before meeting her eyes once more. Resting the edge of her mug against Brittany’s, Santana keeps it there for a second and welcomes the warmth of Brittany’s fingers against hers as they hold their mugs between them. There is another promise in her blue eyes and Santana’s voice is soft as she repeats Brittany’s words before bringing the mug to her lips.

“To friendship.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to Vasperk brings with it more pack bonding but will danger be waiting just around the corner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of violence. It's nothing too graphic (I don't think) and it doesn't last very long (I don't think) but I just wanted to give the heads up anyway.
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

_Two Days Later…_

“Connell, your pack will burst if you shove one more sweet cake into it.”

“Traveling makes me hungry.”

“Breathing makes you hungry, boy. Give me that.”

Brittany grins as Malek takes the small bundle of sweet cake from Connell’s hand, putting it into his own pack without another word. Glaring as Connell tries to pout his way into getting his sweet cake back, Malek finally breaks into a smile as Connell turns around at the sound of his name, the smile fading into a blush as he catches Brittany watching him. Giving Malek his privacy, Brittany instead brings her attention to watching Connell kneel down by Rachel, both of them reaching up to grab a handful of leather pouches held in Quinn’s outstretched hands.

Sensing Santana’s approach, Brittany looks harder at the pouches before finally glancing over and meeting Santana’s eyes. “What’s in those things?”

Dropping Brittany’s pack lightly at her feet, Santana rolls her shoulders before pulling her own pack off and setting it next to Brittany’s on the ground, draping a cloak across the top of each pack. As Rachel and Connell transfer the items into Rachel’s pack, Santana looks at Brittany, the early morning light softly illuminating her face and it takes a moment for Santana to find her voice. “Medicinal herbs, most likely.”

“What about your magic? Don’t you use your magic to heal them or yourself?”

“I do. For most major things, anyway. But Rachel has a talent for healing and it’s useful to have another person with those skills around in case I’m not available or I’m incapacitated myself.”

The distress at the thought of Santana being hurt enough to not be able to use her magic washes over Brittany so quickly that she has to look down under the pretense of fixing her sleeves, hoping that Santana misses the look in her eyes.

“Not that that particular situation has ever happened before. And, letting Rachel use her healing knowledge also helps with pack bonding.” Lifting her gaze, Brittany realizes that her concern was more obvious than she thought as Santana’s eyes are soft as they stare at each other. With a small smile, Santana continues speaking, her gaze shooting over Brittany’s shoulder before she breaks out into a grin. “Besides, Quinn prefers receiving her treatment at Rachel’s hands.”

Brittany’s gaze dropped to Santana’s smile while she was speaking and so she misses Quinn walking up to them, Quinn’s laugh surprising Brittany so much that she startles slightly at the sound, turning around with a sheepish grin as Quinn laughs a little harder before shrugging her shoulders. “You’re not wrong, Santana.”

Unable to help herself, Brittany laughs along, pulled into the easy camaraderie between Quinn and Santana. The tension that existed the night of the Dacrem seems to have vanished over the past couple of days and Brittany is less on edge now when it’s just the three of them.

The day after the Dacrem, Brittany wasn’t sure how she would be received by the pack, especially Quinn, even after their brief discussion. But Rachel had arrived early at Santana’s door, her smile genuine and relaxed as she asked if Santana and Brittany wanted to join her and Quinn for breakfast while the men were out on first shift patrol. Sharing a meal with them wasn’t rife with the tension that Brittany anticipated and that feeling had carried over throughout the day when the pack gathered over mead and a fire to discuss strategy for packing and travel. When Brittany and Santana said their goodbyes later that night, leaving the cabin that Nicolas shared with Connell and Malek, Brittany had to admit that for the first time in a long time she felt a spark of hope.

All three of them wave at Nicolas as he walks past them grinning around a piece of bread in his mouth, his hands currently occupied with attaching a curved blade to the sheath at his waist.

“He’s bringing his _vetahck_ with him?”

“He’s probably showing off for Brittany.”

Quinn’s response prompts Brittany to look over at Santana first, her pulse jumping as she watches Santana clench her jaw lightly before replying to Quinn with an eye roll.

Raising her hands, Quinn smiles and shakes her head. “I’m just saying.”

“It _is_ a very fine sword. But I prefer magic when it comes to battle.”

The look Santana gives Brittany is intense and once again Brittany’s pulse jumps, the cool morning air doing little to stop the heat flaring in her belly the longer she and Santana look at each other. Brittany knows that Quinn is looking between the two of them, the charge in the air not lost on Quinn as she clears her throat loudly, forcing their attention back to her. “That may be true but being able to wield both will prove to be invaluable if we get into any trouble during our travels.”

Gesturing to the daggers located on Brittany’s hips, Quinn arches her eyebrow, holding her hand out as Rachel walks over to them. “Are you any good with those, _draka_?”

“I’m good. Not great, but I won’t slice my own fingers off trying to use them.”

Brittany expects that it was Rachel’s hand that Quinn was reaching for but she sees now that it was a sword, Quinn deftly bringing it over her head to slide into the scabbard across her back, Brittany just then noticing the leather straps across Quinn’s shoulders holding it in place. Briefly observing that Rachel carries no weapons, Brittany returns her attention to Quinn as she points once more to Brittany’s daggers. “If you’d like, I can show you a few tricks I’ve picked up along the way once we set up camp tonight.”

Touched by Quinn’s offer, Brittany nods her head and smiles, remaining at Santana’s side as Quinn and Rachel walk back to where the others are standing, accounting for weapons and supplies in final preparation for their departure.

“That was really nice of Quinn to offer.”

“It was. She doesn’t usually make offers like that. It took me a little while before she’d even consider showing me some of her techniques.”

“Is she good with the sword?”

“One of the best, though I try not to remind her of that too often. The only one that could take her might be Malek but that’s mostly because he can shift faster than she can. He would take the fight to her as a wolf before engaging weapons and in that, Malek would not be bested.”

“Have they ever fought before?”

Brittany follows Santana’s gaze, both of them watching for a moment as Malek hands Quinn a bear skin cloak, helping her as she adjusts the opening in the back to allow for easy access to her sword. Picking her cloak up, Santana holds still for a breath before pulling it over her shoulders, looking at Brittany as she does the same. “No. For that, I am grateful. I’ve been very lucky that fighting for pack order isn’t something that I’ve had to worry about with them. We all just sort of fell into our roles and it’s works for us. If the time ever came where they wanted to challenge each other or challenge me, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Efficiently pulling her hair into a ponytail, Brittany settles the warm cloak against her body, gratitude once again moving through her at Santana’s thoughtfulness. Brittany has watched in a little bit of awe as Santana delegated and arranged the things that were needed for their journey and providing Brittany with a cloak was just another thing that Santana did to ensure this trip went smoothly.

“There are rules in place for such a thing, right?”

“There are.” Holding her breath as Santana reaches up to help her with the ties of her cloak, Brittany’s eyes stay on Santana’s face as she continues speaking. “Truth be told, there is still much I need to learn about being an alpha. I would need to turn to Quinn or Malek for counsel so it is my hope that a challenge never occurs and on the off chance it does, it’s neither Quinn nor Malek that makes the challenge. There you go. You’re…all set. Oh.”

Inhaling slowly, Brittany realizes that Santana helped Brittany with her cloak without thinking, Santana’s hands letting the ties of the cloak fall against Brittany’s chest as she awkwardly pats Brittany’s shoulder before taking a quick step back. Giving Santana a smile, Brittany thanks her and picks up her pack, waiting while Santana does the same before both of them walk over to the group.

“Everything ready, Quinn?”

“Yes. We’re all set.”

Taking a deep breath, Santana turns around and looks over her land, a sense of melancholy winding its way through her chest as she’s struck with the possibility that she won’t see her cabin again. Swallowing down the emotion, she focuses her energy and closes her eyes, casting her cloaking spell over all three cabins. She can feel the spell wavering as thoughts of never coming back here start to push into her consciousness and she inhales sharply at the burst of heat she can feel suddenly warming her blood. Opening her eyes, Santana looks down at her hands, the tips of her fingers glowing a faint purple. Realizing that Brittany has stepped forward, her hand resting on Santana’s shoulder, Santana knows that Brittany is sharing her magic with her, allowing her to not only finish the cloaking spell but leave a stronger one. A few seconds pass and the spell completes, Santana’s breath trembling past her lips as Brittany breaks their connection, pulling back on her magic until just the soft pressure of her hand on top of Santana’s cloak remains.

“You’ll return here, Santana. I swear it.”

Looking over her shoulder, Santana is comforted by the surety in Brittany’s voice, her blue eyes pleading with Santana to believe her. Granting herself a moment of weakness, Santana’s hand drifts up and covers Brittany’s hand briefly, drawing strength from the power she can still feel there. “I hope you’re right, Brittany.”

“Are you ready to leave?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Stepping back, Brittany and Santana both face the rest of the pack, all but Quinn pretending that the ground at their feet is of more interest than the scene playing out before them. Quinn glances over Brittany’s face before looking at Santana, her face unreadable as the moment builds between the three of them. As quickly as it comes, it’s gone and Quinn gives Santana a small smile, asking if they are ready to go.

Nodding her head, Santana tugs on the straps of her pack, flexing her toes inside her boots before one last look at Brittany, the corner of her mouth pulling up into a smile. “Here’s to adventure, right?”

Brittany doesn’t stop the smile that creases her cheeks, falling into step next to Santana and lightly bumping Santana’s shoulder with hers. “Definitely.”

 

* * *

 

The first two days passed relatively quietly, the only excitement coming in the middle of the third day, an argument between Nicolas and Connell over the best way to set a trap to catch the biselk deer that may cross their path holding everyone’s attention. Santana let them go back and forth for a while, trading looks with Malek as the discussion finally descended into childish name-calling. Stepping between the two, Malek’s intimidating size was enough to curb the insults long enough for him to speak, Santana hiding a laugh behind her hand as Rachel lifted her hands, staying out of the plea she could already sense coming from Connell to support his theory. With a hand resting on each of their shoulders, Malek subtly shifted Connell and Nicolas away from each other, his voice calm as he ended their disagreement. “Neither of your traps will work for the biselk.”

Pointing across Malek’s broad chest, Nicolas’ voice still carries a petulant tone as he looks at Malek. “Of course his won’t work. Brosden berries? Luring them to the trap with brosden berries, which I’m pretty sure no living thing actually eats, and hoping the deer is so enamored with eating them that they don’t notice a weighted net falling over their heads. It’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, but taking hours to rig slate arrows on the off-chance one of the most nimble animals in these lands will casually step across your trip wire is brilliant?”

“Arrows versus berries. There’s no contest.”

“It’s not the berries that make the trap work! It’s the…”

“Santana, I didn’t realize that we were bringing children along on this journey. Perhaps we should stop for naptime.”

Laughing as Quinn never bothers turning around after speaking, Santana continues to watch Malek as he finally succeeds in separating Connell and Nicolas.

“You’re both fools and I swear if either of you say another word, I will force feed both of you brosden berries. Berries, by the way, that are eaten by most animals but are slightly poisonous to humans.”

“Ha! Told you, Nicolas.” Swiping his hand out to poke at Nicolas, Connell grunts slightly as Malek’s hand tightens on his shoulder, Connell’s own hand dropping quickly back to his side as Malek continues speaking.

“However, biselks don’t eat berries. And, before you say anything, Nicolas, biselk pelts are impervious to slate arrows. Not that it really matters as you won’t find any biselks this far north, not this time of the year.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Quickstepping forward, Nicolas turns around and walks backward, a grin across his face as he talks to Connell. “That’s a damn shame then. I could have really gone for some biselk stew. Throw in some of those carren roots that Rachel found yesterday?”

“Oh man, that would have been perfect.”

Santana shakes her head as Connell and Nicolas start to talk about food, their disagreement quickly forgotten as they resume walking next to each other. Looking over his shoulder to meet Santana’s eyes with an amused glance, Malek walks a little bit faster until he catches up to Quinn, falling into comfortable silence at her side. Turning around, Santana sees Rachel walking with Brittany, Brittany’s eyes finding hers immediately, their cat-like shape accentuated by the smile she gives Santana. Letting them be for the moment, Santana walks by herself, letting her mind wander as the hum of voices around her fades away.

 

* * *

 

As she had these past few days, Santana’s thoughts don’t drift far before they settle on the object of most of her recent waking thoughts. _Brittany_. With much relief in the first couple of days, Santana watched as Brittany fell into the familiar routine of travel and setting up camp with her pack as if she’d been traveling with them for months. The incident at the Dacrem seems to be behind all of them and Santana felt the most relief over Quinn staying true to her word to try and forgive Brittany. There was still an undercurrent there and Santana would find Quinn watching Brittany when she thought no one was looking. And despite the temptation to tell Quinn again that she could trust Brittany, Santana understood that Quinn would give her trust to Brittany in her own time and not a moment sooner. Watching Quinn show Brittany a different and more efficient way to sharpen her daggers as they’d sat around the campfire last night gave Santana hope that Quinn was firmly moving in that direction. She’d met Brittany’s eyes across the fire and the happiness in them at sharing this simple task with Quinn made Santana’s heart beat a little faster.

The joy that Brittany exuded every time a member of Santana’s pack showed her something, or teased her playfully, or asked her questions and patiently listened to Brittany’s answers, was a tangible thing to Santana. She wasn’t sure if it was this growing connection between them or the magic between them or both of those things but Santana only knew that each time she saw Brittany smile or heard her laugh, Santana’s body would hum with energy. So much so that their first night setting up camp, Santana was embarrassed to see that the campfire flickered and grew whenever she had occasion to be next to Brittany, finally deciding that sitting across from her each night would be the safer bet.

Sighing deeply, Santana can admit that her plan wasn’t without its flaws. Sitting across from Brittany meant that Santana had an unobstructed view of Brittany’s face in the firelight, each subtle movement captivating Santana’s attention. Santana had been around beautiful women before, and she could easily acknowledge that she was lucky enough to have two of them as part of her pack, but there was something about Brittany. The shape of her eyes, the blue of them seeming to darken every time she looked at Santana despite the fire bathing her face in golden light, the curve of her lips as she smiled, the outline of her jaw as she turned her head to listen to something that Malek was saying to her. All these things served to make Santana feel like her magic was trying to seep through her skin and burn her alive with its intensity and she had to make the effort time and time again to not let her magic manifest itself physically. Brittany’s gaze would find hers in those moments, when Santana’s hands were balled into fists and quickly hidden under the cover of her cloak, and she knew that Brittany was very much aware of the turmoil in Santana’s body. Santana would look down and through the fire and see Brittany’s hands between her knees, her cloak covering all but her fingertips, faint blue tendrils escaping to join the smoke of the fire. Wanting to look at Brittany and yet afraid to, Santana would excuse herself, offering to take first watch every night so far.

During the day, it’s easier for her to interact with Brittany, physical distance easier to maintain with the rest of the pack walking with them. Even though she is always painfully aware of where Brittany is in proximity to her body, Santana can push down this growing need to be near Brittany, distracting herself with conversations with the others as they continue to make their way to Vasperk. Left to her thoughts now and without distraction, Santana allows herself a moment of weakness and turns around once more, Brittany’s gaze still on her, the smile on her face replaced with a look that Santana is used to seeing once they’ve made camp for the night. Inhaling sharply, Santana faces forward, her hands going inside her cloak as she leaves Brittany and Rachel to their discussion.

“Do Nicolas and Connell always fight like that?”

Rachel laughs at Brittany’s question, nodding her head as she answers her. “All the time. They are more like siblings sometimes than me and Connell. I think it drives Quinn a little crazy to have to mediate not only their fights but also the ones between Connell and I.”

As if on cue, Quinn turns around and looks at Brittany, her face softening as Rachel sends Quinn a small wave, Quinn returning the gesture with a smile before giving her attention back to Malek. Brittany finds herself wanting to ask Rachel about Quinn, curiosity over Santana’s beta and their history together always floating around Brittany’s thoughts but given the number of times Quinn has turned around to watch Rachel and Brittany, she doesn’t think that Quinn would appreciate Brittany using this time to dig around in Quinn’s past. Deciding on what will hopefully be a neutral topic, Brittany looks over at Rachel, rubbing her hands together as the chill of the approaching evening starts to fight against the late afternoon sun.

“About you and Connell, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you come to join up with Santana?”

“Well, as you already know, we were born and raised in Winterhaven. And, as you may or may not know, Winterhaven was one of the first towns to be attacked by the Sogues and Aleksander’s forces.”

“Why Winterhaven?”

Raising her hands, Rachel pulls her necklace from underneath her tunic and Brittany recognizes it as the one that Quinn had brought her early that week. At the end of the necklace a set of metallic wolf claws curved their way around a pale green gem, the late afternoon sun reflecting off tiny flecks of red scattered throughout the gem. “For this. I mean, not this exact necklace of course, but for the Caster’s Stone Gem. There are only two places to find those gems and one of them was in Winterhaven.”

Making an understanding noise, Brittany reaches out to touch the gem, the red flecks swirling and pulsing before Brittany’s finger even makes contact. Looking closer, Brittany can see that the necklace contains only a shard of one of the gems but it is enough to have her magic warming the tip of her finger, blue tendrils like lightning arcing in the space between the necklace and Brittany’s hand. Pulling her hand back, Brittany waits while Rachel puts the necklace back under her shirt, shaking her hand out to release some of the residual magic tingling along her skin. “My father used to talk about Caster’s Stones and how they supposedly contained the magic from the witch elders from centuries ago.”

“I don’t know if all that is necessarily true but they are definitely powerful. Powerful enough that Aleksander wanted to control access to the cave that held them and those of us at Winterhaven stood in his way.”

“I would think that people over the years had sought the same thing. The cave was protected? Charmed against intruders?”

“It was. But Brittany, if you remember back to before everything started, magic was shared. Willingly shared. Certain precautions were put into place to hopefully prevent the wrong people from acquiring too much power but if someone wanted a Caster’s Stone, they only needed to ask and present their reason for needing one. They’d pass their hand through a Fire of Truth and if their hand came through without a mark, they were granted access to the cave. It was a system that had worked for decades.”

Stepping over a fallen tree trunk, Brittany waits for Rachel to do the same before continuing the discussion. “What happened when you were attacked? Did the protection not hold?”

“For a while, the cave was protected. The dark ones had to get through the town first and my family along with a few other wolf clans and a small group of local witches came together to protect our land and hold them back. I’m not sure if it was due to the disorganization of the men and woman attacking us, since it was so early in the war, or if it was because of the strength of our resistance but we managed to hold off being overrun for almost a year.”

“That long? What about the other people in town? Didn’t they help you?”

“Some. Most of them fled, even after a few months of holding the invading army off.”

Touching Rachel’s forearm, Brittany can’t keep the outrage from her voice as she stops them from walking any further. “They left? But that was their home. You were their friends, their neighbors. How could they leave, especially if you were succeeding in protecting Winterhaven?”

Holding her hand over Brittany’s, Rachel squeezes it lightly to show her appreciation for Brittany’s concern, gently moving them along again as she answers Brittany’s questions. “We were successful at holding them at bay but there was a cost. People were dying and at the time, some of those in town believed that if they fled, and went far away, they could escape the horrors going on in the outskirts of Winterhaven. Looking back now, it seems they may have been the smarter ones though who is to say if they are still alive today, no matter where they tried to seek refuge.”

“Why do you say that?”

“While it’s true we were successful in holding off the main attacks over those months, one of the dark wolves…a _grustnek_ , as Quinn likes to call them…managed to sneak his way into the main hall during the early days of the battle. He disguised his intentions by claiming to be a traveling bard, only there to seek shelter from the fighting.”

“That didn’t seem odd, for a stranger to show up like that?”

Stopping for a moment, Rachel removes her pack and pulls out a long flask, shouldering the pack once more before offering Brittany some of her water. Taking her own sip after Brittany hands it back to her, Rachel keeps the flask in her hand as they keep walking, answering Brittany’s question after a minute. “In hindsight, definitely. But those first few days, hell, those first few weeks, were filled with confusion and fighting and while many of the people were fleeing, we had just as many seeking safe haven that were coming to us from the outskirts of Winterhaven. He was someone to take care of, like the others. For months, he served as an apprentice in the kitchen, befriending most of us and eventually dating the sister of one of Connell’s good friends. But his intentions were evil and without any of us knowing, he slowly began to turn the family against the town and turn them towards Aleksander’s vision. Using the family and the trust they had with all of us, he planned an attack in the middle of the night, promising them riches and power. After almost a year of fighting, with no end in sight, they gave in and ambushed us in our beds.”

Brittany’s heart clenches as Rachel looks away, Brittany’s own pain of fighting for survival aching like a fresh bruise even still. She wants to comfort Rachel but isn’t sure how so she settles for walking quietly next to her, giving Rachel time to decide if she wants to leave the story there or continue. Connell stops a few yards ahead, turning around to face Rachel, his face full of concern before Rachel gently waves him on, smiling for his benefit before resuming her story. “Connell had a fever that night and I was with him trying to figure out which herbs would bring his temperature down. He’d been doubling his patrols and caught a cold from being out in the rain overnight. I left him there to drink the tea I’d prepared and was heading back upstairs when I heard the attacks begin, the doors in the hallway shattering onto the floor. Our parents had shifted to fight and I saw…it was their bodies that broke through the door closest to me.”

“Oh, Rachel. I am so sorry.”

“Thanks, Brittany.”

Waiting while Rachel takes a long pull of water from the flask, Brittany fills the silence with her own confession. “I found my parents, and my sister and my nieces as well, after they were killed by the dark ones. Those aren’t images that will ever fade with time, I don’t think.”

Closing her eyes briefly, Rachel blinks back tears, reaching over to rub Brittany’s back in sympathy. A few more seconds pass and Brittany gingerly asks the next question, giving Rachel a moment to decide whether she wants to answer. “How did you and Connell survive?”

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Rachel continues her story, her voice a little softer than before. “In the commotion, I was able to run downstairs and push Connell through the back door, ignoring his questions until he forced us to stop on the edge of our property. He could hear the fighting now and wanted to return, angry that I would leave our parents and our friends to fend for themselves. I didn’t want to tell him what I’d witnessed but he’d ripped away from my grasp and was getting ready to shift and fight. I used my rank, being the older twin, to order him to stay and I think that shocked him into stopping. The look in his eyes is something else I’ll never forget from that night. It hurt him that I’d used that as I’d never had to before. Connell is always so easy going and willing to go along with anything but that night, I knew that if he returned to our house, I’d never see him again. I had to tell him what happened to our parents and that was enough for him to let me take his hand and pull him away from the fighting. We turned and fled and never looked back.”

“Where did you go?”

“We traveled alone for a while, mostly trying to hide until we could figure out where to go. While we were busy defending Winterhaven, other towns around us fell and we spent almost a month until we came across Mason Falls. It was the first town that hadn’t been ravaged by Aleksander’s forces so we took refuge there, trading my cooking skills for a room at the tavern. It was probably our third or maybe fourth night there and I was spared kitchen duty for the night since we’d only had a few people come through so Connell and I took a meal in the main hall. My brother, being who he is, had us sit next to the only group of people there, and struck up a conversation with them almost immediately. It was Santana, Quinn, and Nicolas.”

Brittany notices Rachel’s attention is on Quinn ahead of them, smiling as Rachel leans a little closer, her voice shy as she continues speaking. “Connell was talking their ears off about who knows what but I couldn’t take my eyes off Quinn. You know when you see someone and everything else fades away? I told myself that I was being rude and was probably making her uncomfortable but it was like my eyes wouldn’t listen to my thoughts and I’m sure I must have looked like a fool letting my meal get cold in front of me as I stared at a total stranger.”

Thinking about her own connection with Santana, Brittany shares a smile with Rachel, understanding how the connection you feel with someone can be an instant one. As she listens to Rachel describe her thoughts about Quinn, Brittany startles when she sees Santana turn around once again, her jaw tight as she looks directly into Brittany’s eyes. Not knowing whether she should wave or look away, Brittany is relieved when something Malek says makes Quinn laugh loudly, Santana’s attention turning to the noise.

Brittany tucks her hands inside her cloak as the temperature continues to fall, the sun starting to fade into the tree line. Using a little bit of her magic to warm them up, she looks down as Rachel continues talking, the side of her face obscured as Rachel pulls the hood of her cloak over her hair. “By the time I forced myself to tune back into their conversation, Connell was asking if we could travel with Santana as they were going to be moving on to find a safer place to hide for a while. Santana seemed a little skeptical about having two more people travel with her and surprisingly, it was Quinn that seemed more open to having us join them. We spent a few more days with them at Mason Falls and then we moved on.”

When Rachel lets out a long happy sigh before finishing her story, Brittany’s gaze can’t help but go to the back of Quinn’s head. “Later, after Quinn and I were together, she confided in me that she wanted us to join them because she was smitten with me. _Smitten_. How cute is that? Oh. Do me a favor though, okay? Don’t ever tell Quinn I told you this. Promise?”

Mumbling her agreement to Rachel’s request, Brittany contemplates Quinn as she glares at something Nicolas says, the smile eventually falling from Nicolas’ face as Connell chuckles quietly at his side. Brittany isn’t sure that smitten is a word she’d ever think to associate with Santana’s beta but as Rachel pulls her cloak a little tighter around her face, Brittany thinks back and remembers the look on Quinn’s face when she gave Rachel the necklace a few days ago. Even if smitten doesn’t sit quite right with Brittany, there’s something else there and Brittany smiles slightly as she continues to watch Quinn, thinking that maybe Quinn is more than what she seems to be.

As Santana jogs ahead to catch up to Quinn and Malek, Brittany asks one final question of Rachel, eager to know more about Santana. “How long before Santana let you into her pack?”

“She didn’t let us. She asked us to join. Connell and I were going to travel with her as long as we could and then make a decision about what to do after that. Joining a new pack wasn’t anything that we had ever even considered, given everything that was going on with wolf packs joining Aleksander left and right. What was supposed to be a short amount of time turned into a few months and I think at that point, my brother and I were happy to just have found people we could trust. Quinn and I were in the early stages of figuring out how to tell everyone that we’d fallen in love and I remember thinking that I didn’t want Santana to think I was fabricating these feelings so that we’d be allowed to stay with them. If Quinn chose me as her mate, it would be her right to start a new pack with me instead of staying with Santana and I didn’t want them to think I was trying to do something like that. It turns out that I didn’t have to worry as Santana approached me and Connell on the night of the full moon and asked us if we would do her the honor of joining her pack and that if Quinn and I were to be bonded, it could only strengthen the pack and keep us secure.”

“Did you and Quinn ever consider leaving?”

“Never. What I found with Quinn, what Connell and I found with this pack…it is the one thing that’s given me any hope that despite the darkness surrounding this world now, there is enough goodness, and enough love, to push it back.”

Considering Rachel’s words, Brittany looks over as the rest of the group comes to stand next to Santana and Quinn. Walking over, Brittany’s stomach rumbles, drawing a smile from Santana before she points to a spot a few yards away from where they are all standing. “I was going to suggest that we stop and camp here for the night since it’s getting dark and definitely getting colder but it seems as if it’s also dinner time.”

“Oh good! I’m starving!”

All eyes turn to Connell who has the good grace to blush, shrugging his shoulders before grinning at Brittany. “What? Brittany’s hungry too.”

“I am. Maybe not as hungry as you but…”

There’s a pause as Brittany makes the joke before Nicolas starts laughing, poking Connell in his chest as he starts to laugh as well. “She’s got you there, _brooka_. Come on, let’s go set up camp before you start wasting away.”

Almost on instinct, Brittany finds herself walking side by side with Santana, both of them hanging back a bit from the group as they make their way over to the clearing. Despite the silence between them, Brittany feels comfortable next to Santana, moving her hand from underneath her cloak to offer it to Santana as they approach a small incline. Santana hesitates as her hand wraps around Brittany’s and Brittany realizes that her magic has kept her hands warm while the group was walking. Pointedly ignoring the low sound of pleasure that Santana makes as Brittany pushes some of her warmth into Santana’s cold fingers, the smile they share between them is soft and if it takes a moment for Santana to let go of Brittany’s hand, Brittany chooses to ignore that as well.

 

* * *

 

Holding her hands over the utensils used for dinner, Brittany absentmindedly cleans them, the rabbit stew sitting warm and heavy in her belly as she looks around at the group gathered by the campfire. Curious, she watches as Quinn braids Malek’s hair, nimbly working his dark hair and small leather strips into his trademark _brykmas_. The motion is soft and rhythmic, Malek’s eyes closed as his head is tugged back very slightly with each pass of Quinn’s fingers through his hair. Nicolas sits a little bit away from them, quietly sharpening his _vetahck_ next to Santana as she spends a few minutes reinforcing everyone’s cloaks. Putting the utensils to the side, Brittany concentrates on watching Santana, her hands a pale red as she coats the exterior of each cloak, protecting them against tearing and snags and insulating them just a little further against the cold climate. Looking around quickly to make sure none of the others are watching her, Brittany resumes watching Santana’s hands, convincing herself that it is the magic that intrigues her and not the beauty of Santana’s hands as they move across the cloaks.

Concentrating on her task, Santana is oblivious to Brittany’s staring, finishing with Nicolas’ cloak and leaning over to place it next to him. Massaging her hands for a moment, Santana takes a deep breath before reaching next to her for Quinn’s cloak to begin the process all over again. Glancing up quickly, her hands come to rest on the cloak as she watches Connell excitedly whispering to Rachel. Recognizing the cajoling tone she can hear, she grins and calls Brittany over to her.

“Do you need help with the cloaks?”

Finishing running her hands across the material, Santana shakes her head as she puts Quinn’s cloak aside, jerking her chin at Connell bending down by Rachel. “You’re in for a treat.”

Smiling as Santana pats the space next to her, Brittany sits down and watches as Rachel rolls her eyes playfully, pushing Connell out of the way as she stands up next to the fire. Putting his _vetahck_ down, Nicolas glances up and notices the way Rachel is standing by the fire and opens his mouth, his teasing remark cut off by a loud grunt as Quinn drops her pack onto the center of his lap. Gingerly removing the pack, Nicolas turns and puts it behind him, scowling as Malek laughs at him. Connell hurries around to sit on the other side of Brittany, leaning against her quickly as he gives Rachel a big smile. Brittany gets caught up in his excitement, watching Rachel as the rest of the pack does the same.

Clearing her throat, Rachel starts to sing, the words to the song in a language that Brittany doesn’t quite recognize. Leaning forward, Brittany tries to make out the words, a few of them sounding vaguely familiar but she’s still unable to place them. Connell must notice her confusion because he leans closer and tells Brittany that what Rachel is singing is a prayer for safe passage, the words are in _jzaktis_ , an ancient wolf language. Thanking him quietly, Brittany continues to watch as Rachel holds her hands up, the melancholy tones of her voice in contrast to the joy on her face as she sings and despite not understanding the words of the song, Brittany feels emotion well up inside of her. Rachel’s voice tugs at something in Brittany and as Rachel carries the last note of the prayer, Brittany discreetly wipes her eyes, grateful as she feels Santana shift a little closer to her.

Despite his good natured grumbling to the contrary, Nicolas applauds Rachel when she finishes, the smile he gives her genuine as he thanks her for singing it.

“May your words guide our way, _keela_.”

“Thank you, Malek.”

Crossing his ankles, Nicolas places his hands on the ground behind him, drawing Rachel’s attention back to him. “May I make a request?”

Clapping her hands together, Rachel’s face lights up and she nods her head eagerly, Connell matching her smile as he glances around Brittany at Nicolas. Turning his head, Nicholas looks directly at Quinn as he makes his request, Brittany catching the soft laugh escaping Santana as Nicolas speaks. “Rachel, will you sing what you sang at our Summer’s Feast last year? It sure is one of my favorites.”

“I should shave your beard while you sleep.”

Laughing as Nicolas instinctively puts his hands over his face, Brittany can tell that he’s smiling by the way his eyes crinkle as Rachel admonishes Quinn for her remark. When Connell seconds the request, Brittany feels her curiosity grow as Quinn seems embarrassed by everyone looking at her. With her head turned to look at Quinn, Brittany notices that Santana seems to have moved even closer than before and she tests this theory, sliding her hand from her thigh to rest on the ground between them. Pretending not to notice Santana’s quick intake of breath, Brittany keeps her attention on Quinn even as she feels the hum of magic against her skin, Santana’s hand closer to hers then she originally thought. Leaving her hand there, Brittany joins Santana in pretending nothing is happening between them in that moment, keeping her attention on the scene playing out before her.

After a minute, Quinn reluctantly goes over to Rachel, rolling her eyes as Rachel executes a half curtsy in her direction but smiles at Rachel just the same. On a deep breath, Quinn closes her eyes and starts to sing, her face smoothing out into one of contentment as Rachel joins her, her hand resting against the small of Quinn’s back.

Listening as Quinn and Rachel sing together, Santana tries to ignore the feel of Brittany sitting so close to her, knowing full well that it wasn’t Brittany that moved earlier. Digging the heel of her boot into the dirt slightly, Santana wants to shake her head at how her own body is betraying her, unable to help itself as it keeps putting her closer and closer to Brittany whenever they are anywhere near each other. Pushing that thought aside, Santana is surprised to find that the one that replaces it is jealousy as she continues to watch Quinn sing with Rachel, both of them now looking at each other as they sing the chorus, Quinn’s eyes focused only on Rachel’s face. Their relationship wasn’t ever anything that Santana coveted before because she never had a reason to, survival and protection of her pack taking precedence over falling in love. But as they finish singing, Quinn giving in to a rare moment of public affection and pulling Rachel into a warm embrace, Santana feels a yearning in her heart that takes her by surprise.

Joining the others in applauding the performance, Santana stands up quickly, using the pretense of returning everyone’s cloaks to them to put some space between her and Brittany. She can sense that Brittany is watching her but she grits her teeth and tunes her out, stepping away from the fire to try and cool the heat sneaking across her cheeks. Running her fingers through her hair, Santana spends a few seconds rubbing at the base of her neck, knowing that this will be another night where she insists on taking first watch. Turning to the more practical matters at hand, she asks for everyone’s attention, her gaze sliding away from the intense way that Brittany is looking at her.

“We’ve been making good time so far and given our position now, I was thinking it might be time to take Deacon River Road for a little while.”

“Leaving the cover of the forest, isn’t that a little risky, Santana?”

“It might be, Nicolas, but it also takes us around the general area of Willowcrest and while I don’t believe that Aleksander’s forces would have stuck around after their attack, I’d rather not chance it. It should only add a day to our travel since we won’t be cutting across Deacon River directly.”

Pulling his cloak over his head, Malek settles the material over his muscular frame, absentmindedly rubbing a hand over his scar as he looks over at Santana. “It could work. We should be able to get well into midday before we might be opening ourselves to any trouble. Nicolas and I could scout ahead tomorrow after lunch and make sure.”

Santana meets Quinn’s eyes and gets a small nod, her decision confirmed as she knows the rest of the pack will fall into line if Quinn agrees with Santana’s choice. Donning her own cloak, Santana moves around the fire, casting a quick spell around it to make sure it burns safely through the night as she prepares to take first watch. “Then it’s settled. We’ll leave a little earlier tomorrow morning so make sure you get enough rest tonight. I’ll take first watch and Malek, you’ll take next shift.”

Without another word, Santana goes to leave, getting a few feet past their camp before she’s stopped by Brittany’s hand on her wrist, the light of the campfire barely reaching them. Checking the instinct to yank her hand away from Brittany, Santana relaxes her arm, ignoring the warmth of Brittany’s hand seeping through her long sleeved tunic. Looking over her shoulder, Santana gently slides her wrist away from Brittany’s hand, raising her eyebrows in question as she waits for Brittany to speak.

The cold breeze blowing through the trees seems to push Brittany closer to Santana, a shiver running through her body as the low hum of voices at the campfire gives way to the sound of Santana breathing in front of her. Bringing her hands to her daggers, Brittany looks past Santana into the darkened woods, inclining her head in that direction. “Do you want company?”

“Company?”

“Yes. Do you want help with your patrol? You’ve taken the first patrol every night that we’ve been traveling and I thought maybe you’d like some help tonight.”

Santana knows that the silence that drags on after Brittany finishes talking is becoming awkward but her brain won’t let her reply, not with images of being alone with Brittany racing through her head. She knows that a big part of why she wants to do the patrol alone is that she patrols as a wolf but she won’t lie to herself and as she prepares to decline Brittany’s offer, Santana knows that pushing off truly addressing this thing between them is what solidifies her decision. Until she gets everyone safely to Vasperk, her feelings will have to be put aside for her duty as alpha.

“I appreciate the offer but I’ll be fine. You should take the opportunity to get as much rest as you can while we’re traveling. You don’t know what you will find once you reach the coven in Vasperk.”

“I feel pretty useless, Santana. You haven’t let me take any of the overnight patrols and while I appreciate the rest, I’d like to be able to do my part while I’m with all of you.”

Rubbing her hands together, Santana sends a little pulse of magic to them, warming her hands as she considers what Brittany said. Meeting Brittany’s eyes, Santana softens her stance, reaching out to briefly touch Brittany’s shoulder. “You’re not useless and you _have_ been contributing. Maybe not on the patrols specifically but that’s really because my pack and I have a good system in place for dividing up the shifts. It’s not because I don’t believe you incapable of protecting us, Brittany. I hope you believe that.”

“I do. It’s just…I guess I feel bad that you can never just relax after dinner. You always leave shortly after and I…”

Waiting as Brittany trails off, Santana watches as Brittany looks away, Brittany’s bottom lip dragging across her teeth before she continues speaking. “I would just like to spend some more time with you before we get to Vasperk.”

Santana’s heart pumps just a little faster at Brittany’s frank admission and here, in the darkness and away from the curious ears of her pack, Santana offer’s her own admission. “I’d really like that, too. I was thinking that we might stay on in town for a little while, if the coven is willing to have us there. I just want us to make it there safely so we have that chance.”

Stepping closer to Santana, Brittany reaches out and holds her hands, warming them with her own magic while she smiles softly. “Okay, Santana. Be safe out there tonight.”

Returning Brittany’s smile, Santana squeezes her hands once before stepping away, walking backward for a moment as Brittany watches her. “If you’d like, perhaps you could walk with me tomorrow.”

Brittany knows that the warmth in her chest has less to do with the side effect of using her magic and more to do with the Santana’s offer, which sounds suspiciously like courting to Brittany’s hopeful ears. With a grin, Brittany nods her head, sending Santana off on her patrol with a matching smile.

 

* * *

 

Despite Nicolas’ concern, the travel along Deacon River Road was uneventful. Brittany started the day walking with Connell, listening as he joyfully let her in on some of the pack’s most embarrassing moments, laughing as he was forcefully pulled away by a blushing Nicolas. She eventually found herself walking next to Malek and the first few minutes of awkward silence eventually passed as he commented on her daggers, pulling them both into conversation as he showed Brittany his Halefire dagger for comparison. Quinn and Santana walked ahead of the group and as the day wore on Brittany began to wonder if Santana’s offer from the night before was discarded under the light of day. To her relief, shortly after she and Malek feel into comfortable silence, Brittany notices Santana smile at Quinn, relinquishing her spot next to her as Rachel walks up to them. Pausing on the side of the road, Santana waits for Brittany to get to her, nodding to Malek as he continues walking eventually slowing his gait to bring up the rear and allowing for Brittany and Santana to walk a few yards ahead of him.

“Hi.”

Smiling at Santana’s shy tone, Brittany returns Santana’s greeting with a quiet one of her own, both of them turning their heads as a pair of deer look at the group from the side of the road before bolting deeper into the woods.

“I think Malek’s stern face might have scared them off.”

Looking quickly over her shoulder, Brittany laughs as the comment goes unnoticed by Malek. “That’s not very nice, Santana.”

Inclining her head to acknowledge Brittany’s statement, Santana keeps smiling, shifting her pack against her shoulders as she reaches up to pull her hair into a bun. “Are you having a good day so far?”

“I am,” Brittany pauses, unsure if she should say what she wants to and decides to test both her and Santana. “Though it’s better now.”

Santana wills her blush away, taking a deep breath before looking over at Brittany. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join you earlier. I’d forgotten Quinn’s attention to detail when the group of us are traveling and she insisted we go over the route a few more times.”

“Is everything okay?”

Nodding, Santana chuckles as Nicolas uses his _vetahck_ to halve the branch Connell was using as a sword to swat at Nicolas’ legs. Undeterred, Connell simply picks up the other half of the branch, brandishing each one as Nicolas swipes at them, Santana looking away from their antics and returning her attention to Brittany.

“She’s good. We’re making better time than I anticipated and I think that…do you feel that?”

Brittany stops next to Santana and frees her daggers from her waist, assuming the same tingle she’s feeling in her magic is also affecting Santana. “Yes.”

Santana looks ahead just as Quinn looks back, the others immediately quiet as the feeling in the air around them changes, forming a defensive position a few seconds before a small group of men come walking around the bend in the road ahead of them. Leaving Brittany’s side, Santana walks until she’s slightly in front of Quinn, assessing the group in front of her and taking stock of the weapons at their sides.

“What do we have here? Out for a stroll on this fine day?”

“Just trying to pass through to our destination,” Santana’s voice is calm, her weight shifting to the balls of her feet as she continues, “and we’re not looking for any trouble.”

“Well then it’s your lucky day. We’re not here to give you any trouble.” The leader of the group holds his hands out to his side, indicating the small group of men gathered behind him. “In fact, trouble is the last thing we plan on giving you.”

While he is speaking, Santana keeps her eyes on the other men, their hands hovering over the weapons at their side, their smug smiles belying the words the man at the front is saying. While their clothes had clearly seen better days, they each wore light leather armor, their weapons gleaming in the afternoon sun. They bore no crest and no identifiers that would mark them as belonging to Aleksander but Santana knows regardless of whether they are on that road at Aleksander’s behest, or they are simply a pack of bandits seeking to take advantage of the chaos of the war, she and her pack are about to have a fight on their hands. A thought proven to be truth as the leader pulls a short sword from his waist, twirling it in his hand before pointing it at Santana.

“It’s not trouble we bring but death. And death you shall have.”

Before the men can charge, the _shing_ of Quinn’s sword escaping her scabbard precedes the muted sound of cloaks and packs hitting the ground. Santana hears Malek’s growl before she sees him, his black fur a blur as he charges, veering around the wild swing of one of the men before launching himself at another’s throat. Connell and Rachel shift at the same time, taking off as a pair after a tall man in the front, his arrow clipping Rachel’s shoulder and deflecting into the dirt at Santana’s feet. The sound of metal hitting metal rings out across the road as both Quinn and Nicolas engage the attackers with their weapons, Santana leaving them to it as the leader grins at her. As she senses Brittany coming to her side, a burst of blue light to her left showers her in embers and another arrow falls to her feet, Brittany’s hand still clutching her dagger but held in front of her. Her voice is strained as she calls out to Santana, Quinn dropping to one knee as she sends her sword in a quick arc across the belly of the man in front of her, paying his death no mind as she reacts to Brittany’s shout.

“It’s a trap. They are flanking us!”

Spinning around, Santana sees another group of men racing in from the woods, her hands rising as she sends a wave of magic at them, blinking rapidly as her magic moves harmlessly over them.

“Their armor is enchanted. Your magic won’t work, Santana.” Quinn’s voice is breathless as she runs past Santana, raising her sword to deflect the attack of the man closest to her before kicking at the one by his side. A second later Rachel comes leaping forward as her claws swipe at the man next to Quinn, their bodies tumbling over each other on the road as the man grabs onto her fur. Rachel’s yelp is quickly followed by the crunch of bone, the man trying to crawl away backwards even as Rachel’s jaws clamp down harder on his leg.

Glancing quickly over her shoulder, Santana sees Malek and Nicolas finish two more men on the road, their bodies dropping limply to the ground, Malek’s muzzle as bloody as Nicolas’ _vetahck_. As three more men appear on the other side of the trees, Nicolas shifts, his _vetahck_ falling a few feet away from Santana. As he and Malek charge at the newcomers, Santana feels torn between picking up his weapon to fight or if she should shift as every cell in her body is screaming at her to do.

Brittany’s blonde hair is swirling around her shoulders as she wields her daggers, skillfully parrying a strike before driving one of her daggers deep into the forearm of one of the men, his sword falling to the ground moments before Brittany’s other dagger finds a home in the side of his neck. Flipping the dagger in her hand, Brittany sends it into the shoulder of a man pinning Connell to the ground. The injury is enough to have the man slumping forward slightly, Connell’s jaws able to clamp down on the man’s throat. Shaking the man off of him, Connell lunges at another man, Brittany running over to quickly retrieve her dagger.

Yet another handful of men emerge from the woods, Santana meeting Brittany’s eyes and as another yelp sounds out, Santana makes the decision to shift. The second before the change happens, Santana pushes all the lingering shame over being a hybrid away and ignores the embarrassment she feels becoming a wolf in front of Brittany. Relinquishing control to the wolf, Santana holds Brittany’s gaze as long as she can before the change completes, instinct guiding her to join Rachel and Malek as they work to bring down a larger man swinging a battle axe.

Part of Brittany wants to watch Santana as despite the savagery of her attack on the men going after them, there is beauty to her movements, Santana’s sleek black fur doing nothing to hide the grace of her muscles as she circles one of the men. But as she hears a cry of pain to her left, Brittany tunes back in to the fight, running towards the man with his arms wrapped tight around Quinn’s neck. Quinn’s thrashing exposes her belly and one of the remaining men brings his sword above his head, seconds away from driving it into Quinn chest. Bending low, Brittany slices her dagger across the man’s Achilles tendon, triumphing in his cry of pain as she stays crouched, Connell’s body knocking into the man above her as he snaps at the man’s throat. The man holding Quinn drops her suddenly, swinging his fist back into Nicolas’ muzzle and knocking Nicolas away from the back of his leg. Reaching into his waist as he turns, the man pulls a wicked looking long knife from a hidden sheath, driving it deep into Nicolas’ shoulder before pulling it free and turning back to face Brittany.

Dragging her claws across the face of the man struggling beneath her, Santana sees Malek shaking his head, breaking the neck of the man held within his grasp. At Nicolas’ loud yelp of pain, Santana pushes and rises up, coming down hard with her claws on the man under her, barely hearing the cracking of bone as she collapses his chest. Swinging her head around, Santana sees that all of the men but one had been killed, Quinn shifting back to pick up her sword as Malek stays in wolf form and circles around the man in front of Brittany. Brittany steps sideways and draws him away from Nicolas, his human body stretched out on the ground with a shirtless Connell pressing his tunic against the wound as Rachel stands guard over them.

The rage Santana feels, not only at the men who injured one of her pack but who are also poised to hurt Brittany, boils in her blood and the growl she emits comes from deep within her chest. Before she can sprint forward the man lunges at Brittany and time seems to stand still as Santana watches, enthralled with the deadly grace of Brittany’s movements.

Leaning her weight on her back foot, Brittany welcomes the attack, knowing the man in front of her is desperate with the rest of his men gone. She isn’t disappointed as he lunges at her, his weight off-center as he lands hard on his front foot. Even with his size, he’s quick and he catches Brittany’s shoulder on his backswing, the edge of his knife skimming across her bicep. Instead of sending magic to heal the wound immediately, Brittany uses the pain and lets it fuel her anger, hitting the man’s wrist with the end of her dagger. The knife falls free as Brittany steps forward, sweeping her leg against the man’s injured leg, following him down as he falls onto his back. Pinning his arm with her knee, Brittany kneels across his chest, her other dagger at his throat.

Rolling his eyes to look around, the man’s voice is thin and reedy, panic tightening his vocal chords as he pleads with Brittany. “Mercy, mercy! You’ve killed everyone else. Please, let me live. I promise I’ll leave. You’ll never see me again if you just…”

Before he finishes speaking, he reaches up to dig his fingers into Brittany’s bicep, using the shock of pain to buck her body to the side, intending to use his momentum to put her on her back. As he rolls over, Brittany locks her legs around his waist, turning them one more time until he is beneath her once more. In the second it takes for him to draw a breath, Brittany clenches her jaw, crossing her forearms and quickly slicing her daggers across the man’s throat. Pushing to her feet, Brittany slowly sheaths her daggers at her waist, adrenaline pouring through her veins like lava. Brittany can hear how harsh her breathing sounds and the pain from the wound at her bicep is starting to throb, blood trickling down her arm to drop from the ends of her fingers. There is a rush of guilt and shame heating her cheeks as she looks around at the pack watching her, Santana with her hand over Nicolas’ shoulder, healing it with her magic as Connell pulls a clean tunic from his pack by the side of the road.

She can see the bodies of the other men strewn across the road and at the edge of the woods but knows that they were killed in self-defense and as she looks down at the man on the ground at her feet, Brittany knows that she chose to kill him out of anger. Not that his threat was neutralized but with the rest of the pack around her, his death didn’t have to be a certainty. Swallowing against a dry throat, Brittany steps back, her breath catching as Quinn rests a hand on her shoulder, stepping around until she is looking directly at Brittany.

“You did well today, _draka_.” Quinn’s gaze is serious, her hazel eyes searching Brittany’s face as she lightly squeezes her uninjured shoulder before giving Brittany a small smile. “I think you may have downplayed your dagger skills.”

Quinn walks away and heads over to Rachel, Brittany looking away as Quinn pulls Rachel into a tight embrace, Brittany’s gaze meeting Santana’s as she continues to watch Brittany from beside Nicolas. Stepping forward, Brittany winces as her arm moves, lifting her other hand over the wound to work on healing it. Closing her eyes, Brittany controls the jolt she feels a few seconds later as Santana’s hand covers hers, a pleasant feeling moving through her body as Santana absorbs her pain, Brittany’s magic doing the work of healing the skin and muscle fibers. A few minutes pass before Brittany can breathe easier, pulling her hand away and shaking out her arm as she opens her eyes. “Thank you, Santana. Is Nicolas alright?”

Santana feels the loss of Brittany’s hand in hers and is grateful when Rachel walks over and hands each of them their cloaks as it gives her something to do while Brittany continues to look at her. She’s not sure what she expected after Brittany watched her shift but she relaxes slightly as all she sees in Brittany’s eyes is concern for Nicolas. “He’s fine. The wound was deep but Connell was able to stop the worst of the bleeding until I could get there. Nicolas asked me to leave the scar to, and I quote, _impress the ladies_.”

“It’s good to know he’s back to normal.”

Sharing a small smile with Brittany, Santana looks over to where Rachel is standing with Malek and Quinn, glancing over briefly to see Connell and Nicolas gathering their packs. Walking over with Brittany as Rachel waves them over, Santana stands in front of Rachel, gratefully accepting the flask of mead that Malek hands her. “Santana, what are we going to do about them? Their bodies, I mean.”

“We could just burn them.”

“Malek!”

Taking the flask back from Santana, Malek takes a sip before tucking it back into his pack, reaching over to pick up Connell’s bloody tunic, holding it in front of Rachel. “I say we just leave them where they fell. For what they did to us today, they deserve no better.”

Knocking Malek’s arm down as Rachel’s eyes tear up at the blood on her brother’s shirt, Quinn warns Malek back, staring at him until he drops the tunic behind him. His broad shoulders move in a sigh as Malek apologizes to Rachel, ducking his head until she looks at him. “I’m sorry, _keela_. That wasn’t right and I’m sorry. Tell us…what would you have us do?”

As Connell and Nicolas wander over, Rachel looks around at the bodies on the road, meeting Malek’s gaze before looking at Santana. “I think we should at least move them to the side of the road by the tree line. They were bad men and I’m happy that we are the ones standing here alive but they don’t deserve to be left on the road like garbage. They don’t deserve the time and honor of a proper burial but it doesn’t sit right with me to just leave them like this.”

Brittany stands back, sensing this is a pack decision. Even though the last man she killed would have gladly slit her throat without hesitation, she can see where Rachel is coming from and part of her hopes that Rachel’s suggestion is accepted. As she watches, Santana runs a hand over her face, looking at Rachel for a minute before nodding her head.

“Okay, Rachel. We’ll move them off the road. Malek, Connell…go through their things first and see if they have anything identifying whether they were acting solo or if Aleksander was controlling them. He makes his soldiers carry his goddamn crest somewhere on them and their enchanted armor makes me believe this wasn’t a simple band of evil men.”

The next half hour is spent removing the bodies from the road, Santana’s suspicion confirmed as Malek finds a banner containing Aleksander’s crest hidden in a slot in one of the men’s scabbards. When the final body is moved, Quinn tells everyone to be ready to move in the next few minutes, pulling Santana off to the side. “Why do you think they hid his banner? They weren’t dark wolves or witches but their armor protected them from magic. Do you think they overtook some of Aleksander’s forces and they were simply bandits?”

“I don’t believe his men would be so easily overtaken but it’s not a possibility we can just dismiss. But why hide the banner? If anything, it would strike fear in the people they came across. Who were they? Malek, did you find any other identifiers on them?”

Hoisting his pack over his shoulders, Malek nods his head. “Each of their weapons bore a purple stripe. It could indicate the town they were from as easily as indicating which blacksmith made their weapons.”

“Santana, should we stay on this road?”

Sighing deeply, Santana looks around at each of her pack members, their bruises and scratches from the skirmish like a small wound against her heart. The connection between her and Brittany seems amplified as Santana meets Brittany’s eyes, sympathy there as well as acceptance for whatever Santana chooses. The weight of responsibility bears down on her shoulders, knowing that she put her pack in this kind of danger. First, by offering to escort Brittany and second, by suggesting they travel along Deacon River Road. As they are almost near the end of their journey, Santana knows that she can’t make up for the sending them on this trip but she can make sure she sends them the safest way.

“We’ll go back into the forest and make our way through there again. After today, I think it’s best if we don’t push our luck any further.”

“Sounds good to me. I’d rather not take another blade to my shoulder if it’s all the same to everyone.” Nicolas ends his thought with a smile, tilting his head down as Santana cups the back of his head for a brief moment, accepting her affectionate pat of his bearded cheek as she leads everyone back into the woods.

 

* * *

 

When they finally decide to make camp, the moon is high overhead, Santana wanting to put some distance between them and the evidence they left back on the road. As they all drop their packs to the ground with various sounds of relief, Santana does everyone a favor and conjures a blazing campfire, giving everyone one less chore to have to handle before they settle down to sleep. They’d eaten very little as they’d hustled through the forest and if the condition of Santana’s belly was any indication, she can safely assume that everyone else is hungry as well.

“Let me, Santana.”

With a grateful smile, Santana nods, removing her pack and stretching her arms above her head as Brittany stands in front of the campfire, holding her hands out for a few minutes before clapping them together, a cauldron of rabbit stew with vegetables already boiling over the fire. Accepting the pack’s gratitude, Brittany scoops some out into a bowl for herself, sitting down with a groan as her leg muscles protest the hard miles she put in this evening. A hand appears over her shoulder holding a hunk of bread and Brittany turns her head, thanking Quinn.

For a while the only noise in the camp are the sounds of people eating accompanied by the sound of weapons being cleaned and sharpened against whetstones. Brittany can’t help but think that tonight’s camp is a more solemn affair than the previous nights and she puts her bowl of stew down, her stomach turning sour at the thought of what everyone here went through, all to make sure she makes it to Vasperk in one piece. If any of Santana’s pack, or Santana herself, had gotten hurt or worse, Brittany isn’t sure that she could have ever forgiven herself. Closing her eyes, she says a prayer that what she finds with the coven at Vasperk will make all of this worth it.

Rachel offers to take the dinner bowls and spoons to the stream behind their camp, accepting Connell’s help with a smile. Rising as they pass her, Santana hands them her bowl and goes to leave, only stopping when Quinn steps in front of her.

“You’re not taking first watch tonight, Santana. You’ve taken first shift this entire trip and it’s about time you let someone else do it. Why don’t you rest and let me take it?”

“You think I need rest?”

Not reacting to the tone in Santana’s voice, Quinn steps a little closer, lowering her voice so that only Santana can hear her. “Yes. Your change today, with Brittany here, I know that took a lot for you to do.”

“It was the same for all of…”

“And, I know you carry the weight of what happened on the road today. Thinking that it was your fault because you changed our route. We all agreed with you, Santana. It’s no more your burden to bear than it is ours. Now, let me take the first watch and you stop being so goddamn noble and get some rest. Okay?”

“Fine.” Reluctantly agreeing, Santana waves off Quinn’s smile but squeezes her shoulder affectionately as Quinn leaves.

Connell returns alone from the stream and Santana has a feeling that Rachel might be keeping Quinn company, understanding their need to have some time alone after a battle like today. Tipping her pack over, Santana uses the bottom corner of it like a pillow, rolling onto her elbow to glare at Connell as he accidentally knocks Nicolas’ _vetahck_ into the freshly stacked bowls. Nicolas barely moves from his slumber and Connell mimes wiping his brow, smiling at Santana as he settles down to sleep. Malek’s first snore reaches Santana’s ears and as she lays her head back down, pulling her cloak tighter across her body, she finds the familiar sound comforting.

Gazing into the fire, Santana lifts her hand and casts the spell to keep the fire burning for the rest of the night, the dancing flames and crackles and pops of the wood burning doing its job in making her sleepy. Her eyes look away from the fire to find Brittany watching her through the edge of the flames, her body mimicking Santana’s position on the other side. Santana’s instinct is to break their stare, Brittany’s eyes a pale blue as they reflect the firelight, but she forces herself to hold it.

Watching each other through the glow of the fire, Brittany relaxes her head against the rolled up tunic beneath it, knowing without looking that her breathing matches Santana’s. Brittany isn’t sure how much time passes but as her eyes grow heavy, the last thing she sees before they droop closed is Santana still watching her.

It seems as if she’s only asleep for a few minutes before Brittany is jolted out of a dreamless sleep, her hand glowing blue on instinct before she realizes one of the logs shifting in the fire made the noise that woke her up. Sitting up and leaning to her side, she reaches into the top of her pack, pulling out her flask of water and taking a few long sips before pouring a little out onto her hands, wiping them across her face before putting the flask back. Looking around the camp, she spots Quinn sleeping behind Rachel, Quinn’s arm resting across Rachel’s stomach, before she looks to her right, noticing that only Santana is missing.

Debating with herself for only a moment, Brittany gets up to go look for Santana, moving quietly through the woods until she spots Santana on a small ridge overlooking the camp, her body turned away from Brittany. Santana must have shifted on her patrol and Brittany stops moving, the wind moving through Santana’s black fur and Brittany’s fingers flex with the urge to find out what it feels like. Taking a chance, Brittany inhales deeply and walks toward Santana, not bothering to hide her approach to give Santana the chance to leave.

Santana knew the minute Brittany entered the woods behind her, Brittany’s scent distinguishable over all the forest smells. Turning her head, she watches Brittany walk to her, Santana’s body vibrating with excitement and the urge to flee as Brittany comes to stand before her. Again, they find themselves watching each other, Santana holding herself still as Brittany looks her over, her gaze open and admiring and Santana finds herself lifting her head a little higher.

Brittany understands that it is taking a lot for Santana to allow Brittany to see her this way and that vulnerability stirs something in Brittany’s heart. Santana is beautiful to Brittany like this and her chest constricts as another breeze blows across Santana’s body. Testing what seems to be a new bond between her and Santana, Brittany inches forward and slowly raises her hand, giving Santana one more chance to run. When Santana doesn’t move away from her, Brittany’s leans down and runs her fingers over Santana’s head, feeling the thick fur move through her fingers as she continues, sliding her hand across Santana’s flank and feeling the muscles trembling there. Standing up straight, Brittany looks right at Santana, knowing that she’s a few seconds away from leaving.

“You’re beautiful.”

There’s a pause there as Santana looks at her before she turns and takes off, disappearing quickly through the thick underbrush. Brittany looks up at the moon, welcoming the cold night air as it rushes over her face, her hand tingling with the memory of Santana’s fur while her heart thumps wildly in her chest. Regardless of the moment they just shared, Brittany has a feeling that Santana will not want to see Brittany when she returns from her patrol. Heading back to camp, Brittany settles back down, looking across the fire to where Santana had slept. On a soft sigh, Brittany says a quick spell to help her sleep, her mind brimming with thoughts of Santana.

For her part, Santana’s patrol passed in a blur. More than once she found her concentration broken by thoughts of Brittany and what happened between them, a young deer escaping easily before Santana could think to take it down. Knowing that her pack could have used the meat and the hide, she pushed all thoughts of Brittany down, determined to finish her patrol without incident.

Shifting before she returned to camp a couple of hours later, it seems like Brittany is the only thing Santana could see, the pale gray of another cold morning barely creeping over the horizon. Using the campfire to heat some water, Santana gives everyone a few more minutes of sleep, dumping tea leaves into a mug and pouring water into it. Leaving it to steep, Santana pulls a small piece of sweet bread from her pack, ignoring the flush she feels as she also pulls out a small jar of huntersberries jam. Putting a small amount onto the sweet bread, Santana pushes the small jar back into her pack before picking up the tea. Walking quietly over to Brittany, Santana kneels down, gently waking her up. Santana waits for Brittany to open her eyes before placing the mug of tea on the ground, holding out her hand with the sweet bread and jam balanced on her palm.

With a tired smile, Brittany sits up and takes a sip of the tea before reaching both hands out to grab the bread. Santana reaches her free hand out to hold onto the back of Brittany’s hand, keeping their hands together for a moment. Brittany can tell that something has shifted between them, the look in Santana’s eyes making the sweet bread all but forgotten.

Part of Santana is relieved that Brittany never shied away from her as a wolf and, she realized about one minute after she left Brittany last night, a part of Santana feels closer to Brittany because of it. Santana knows she has a long way to go before she can fully accept her condition as a hybrid but the way that Brittany looked at her last night makes her think that she just may be able to accept herself. Relinquishing her hold on Brittany’s hands, Santana shifts her weight to leave, the sounds of the others waking up starting to filter in between the morning calls of the birds in the trees above their head. With Brittany still watching her, Santana leans down a little closer, her heart beating fiercely in her chest as she whispers an admission.

“So are you.”

 

* * *

 

Sticking to the woods worked in their favor as they didn’t encounter any other issues and, despite losing a day in a makeshift shelter due to a fast moving snow storm, they managed to arrive at the outskirts of Vasperk more or less on schedule.

A thin scattering of purple boonlan flowers soon gave way to thick rows of them, letting Santana and the others know that they were finally at the border of the town. Turning right, they cut through about ten yards of the flowers, emerging from the woods at the top of a hill east of the main center of Vasperk.

Rachel’s loud gasp gets Brittany’s attention and she hurries forward, pushing past Malek and Nicolas as she gets her first clear view of the town, her stomach dropping.

“It’s gone.”

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More than destruction is discovered among the ruins of Vasperk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

“Brittany, wait!”

“Rachel, let her go.” Santana holds onto Rachel’s forearm as Brittany takes off down the hill, her heart hurting as she looks over the destruction of the town below them.

“But there could be danger down there, people waiting to attack…”

“There’s nothing there that poses any threat,” Santana’s voice softens, her hand slipping from Rachel’s arm as she steps forward. Glancing around at the smoke quietly escaping from fires that were still barely burning, Santana continues speaking. “There’s barely anything left at all.”

Turning around, Santana calls Quinn over to where she stands next to Nicolas. “All the same, I’d feel better knowing our perimeter was safe. Malek and I will go after Brittany. Quinn, take the rest of the pack and patrol. I’m fairly certain that Brittany is heading to where the coven would be so meet us there once it’s done.”

Nodding her head, Quinn removes her travel pack as the others do the same. Stepping closer, Santana hold’s Quinn’s gaze, taking comfort in seeing the same anger she also feels reflected in Quinn’s eyes. “If anything seems off, even the smallest thing, do not engage. You come find us first. Those purple flowers we waded through before?”

“Yeah?”

“They are the same color purple of the bands on the weapons of the men we fought which means more than likely, those men came from here. Whatever power granted them passage out of the destruction of this town is not something that I want us to confront without our pack at full strength. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Santana.”

Glancing over her shoulder, Santana waves Malek forward, her magic simmering below the surface of her skin as concern for Brittany settles heavy in her chest. Preparing to head down the hill, Santana looks over her pack, meeting Quinn’s eyes once more. “Be careful.”

Walking down the hill, Santana is grateful to have Malek at her side, his tracking skills second only to Nicolas’. “Do you think we’ll find any survivors down there?”

Taking in the condition of the cabins and buildings as they get closer to the edge of town, Malek’s voice is solemn as he looks over at Santana. “I don’t think so. See the gouges in the wood? The way the fires seem to have burned from the inside out?”

Climbing over a fence at the corner of one of the properties, Santana looks at where Malek is pointing, understanding what it all means. “This was wolves _and_ dark magic. He sent his full forces here.”

Kneeling, Malek runs his hand gently over the body of what was once a family dog, its body showing signs of a fight. “Good for you, _sceknish_. I hope you at least hurt them.”

Resting her hand on Malek’s shoulder, Santana can hear the sadness and anger in his voice, standing silent as he whispers a quick prayer over the body.

After a moment, Malek stands and resumes walking with Santana, both of them moving cautiously around the debris. “This kind of destruction, it was designed to remove any living thing. It looks like they succeeded. I don’t think anything survived this, Santana.”

Understanding that he’s talking about the witches of the coven, Santana can only nod slowly, thinking about Brittany and what she’ll most likely find once she gets to the church. Part of her wants to rush forward, knowing that Brittany, in her grief, wouldn’t have given any thought to just going straight to the church, regardless of whether there were any dangers left in Vasperk. Wanting to make sure that there are no surprises waiting for them, Santana forces herself to stay with Malek, clearing the town as they make their way to Brittany.

 

* * *

 

With the amount of devastation that Brittany has seen in her life, she knows that she probably shouldn’t be shocked by anything any longer. But as she navigates her way through the destruction around her, it feels like there is a part of something inside of her that crumbles and burns away. When she walks around a house, nothing more than charred wood and broken pottery, she has to force herself to keep walking, ignoring the overwhelming urge to just sit down and cry as she passes what used to be a child’s toy. Brittany knows her hands are burning, the light, dark blue and trailing behind her like fog, as she puts the despair and grief to the side to make way for rage and revenge. Looking around, she almost hopes that some of the dark ones remained behind, her magic churning with the need to lash out. But as she walks around the large broken structure of what must have been the main hall, she can see what remains of the church up ahead and this time, she can’t stop the tears that well up in her eyes, the icy wind drying them on her face almost as soon as they fall.

The broken boulders and splintered wood speak to the fight that must have taken place there, the mountainside doing little to provide the protection it should have, the trees above the roof of the church nothing more than blackened silhouettes in the early evening sky. Walking slowly, Brittany steps over smashed tables and sees the vials that must have once sat on them, their glass shattered with their colored liquid seeping into the ground at her feet. The large front doors of the church lay twisted and apart, the entrance filled with rocks and pieces of furniture, the edges singed and still warm to the touch. Crouching by the debris, Brittany looks at the front doors and a rush of fear runs through her at the thought of the power needed to rip the doors open that way. Going to move to the other side, Brittany spots the deep purple sleeve of a robe under a large boulder and looks closer, her stomach churning as she sees the slim bloody wrist of one of the witches of the coven. In her heart she knows that no one could have survived an attack like this but she’s still overcome with the need to find out for sure, urgency pushing her to rush closer to try and move the boulder.

Placing her hand against the rock, she sends her magic through it, straining to move its weight and as it shifts, more rocks move above her, hitting her thigh and knocking her back. In anger, she casts the smaller rocks behind her, climbing a little higher to get better leverage and crying out when she sees yet another body under the rubble. Without thought to the condition of her hands, Brittany pushes through the splintered wood and grabs onto the other robe, trying to pull the witch free.

Santana broke into a run at the sound of Brittany’s shout, her hands already charged with her magic at the thought of Brittany being hurt. As soon as Brittany comes into view, the magic fades away and Santana skids to a halt a few feet away, her chest constricting as she watches Brittany trying to remove one of the bodies from under a large wooden beam. She can see that Brittany’s hands are scraped, her magic barely a dull blue around them, as Brittany digs at the rocks holding the beam in place. The sound of Brittany sobbing breaks Santana’s inaction and she hurries to Brittany, trying to pull her away from the body.

“Stop, Brittany. Stop! You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Ripping away from Santana, Brittany pushes her back with one hand, reaching for the beam again and pulling, her voice trembling and broken. “Help me. Santana, please help me! We have to move this off of her. She shouldn’t be under there and there are probably more and they may be buried…please! P..please.”

Santana’s heart breaks as Brittany turns around to look at her, the grief in her eyes so deep that Santana feels the quick slice of it. Gently, Santana moves forward again, lightly gripping Brittany’s shoulders and standing her up, her fingers tightening against the shaking she can feel under her hands. “Brittany, there’s nothing we can do for them now. You’re only going to hurt yourself like that. Shhh, it’s okay.”

Catching Brittany as she collapses in her arms, Santana holds them both up, willing her strength into Brittany as she weeps loudly against her shoulder. Wrapping her arms around Brittany’s back, Santana just holds her and lets Brittany cry, Santana’s own tears falling unheeded down her cheeks. Santana can feel Brittany’s magic and inhales sharply at the subtle difference she can feel. It’s not unfamiliar but Santana can’t place the change and as Brittany leans away from the embrace, Santana pulls her attention back to Brittany.

Santana reaches up and wipes away the tears on Brittany’s cheeks, Brittany’s eyes still closed as she tries to catch her breath. “Brittany, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry we couldn’t get here sooner.”

As Brittany reaches up to rub at her eyes, Santana catches her hands in midair, her gasp of distress making Brittany open her eyes to look at Santana. They both look down to where Santana is holding Brittany’s hands, the skin red and bruised, trickles of blood running from the cuts across her knuckles. Santana runs her fingers over Brittany’s skin, wishing she could do more for Brittany’s pain than just healing her hands.

On a deep inhale, Brittany swallows hard and thanks Santana for healing her, looking over once more to the rubble of the church before looking back at Santana. “Will you help me? I need to get them out of there. They deserve to have the Returning Rite performed and I can’t leave them there.”

“Of course.”

The sound of the pack arriving has Santana turning around, guiding her and Brittany away from the debris. Calling the pack forward, Santana removes her cloak and places it behind her, not wanting its heavy weight on her for this. Holding her hands out at her waist, Santana concentrates her magic into the palm of her hands, seeking and finding the bodies of the seven members of the coven. Planting her feet, Santana pushes her magic forward, sending it under and around the broken wood and heavy rocks, imagining each piece as being hollow and filling the space with her magic. Santana begins to lift her arms, gritting her teeth at the effort to lift the debris, her back immediately trembling with exertion as her magic bears the weight of all the things she’s trying to lift. Forcing herself to tune out the sadness she can feel from her pack as the bodies come into view, she turns her head slightly and meets Quinn’s eyes, the understanding in them soothing Santana.

“Recover the witches from the church and place them in the clearing behind me.”

With a quick nod, Quinn moves ahead, the rest of the pack following as they gently remove the bodies, carrying them to the clearing and gingerly laying them down side by side. As Malek lifts the last body and turns away, Santana notices something in the rubble. Santana concentrates on dropping the debris back down without causing the church structure to collapse further, making sure to keep the path to the object clear. Seeing that the others are occupied with respectfully arranging the witches’ bodies, Santana walks over and bends down, seeing the round shape of an amulet sitting on top of its long silver chain. Santana cautiously reaches down, picking up the amulet and turning it over, the inscription on the back scratched but still legible.

_Arvel Rekupt Prus_

The amulet seems to tremble in Santana’s hand and blinking rapidly, her fingers close tighter over the large white stone. Recognizing the necklace that she holds in her hand, Santana suddenly understands what exactly the coven was trying to achieve. Glancing over her shoulder, she sees Rachel hugging Brittany, Nicolas and Malek standing silent guard over the bodies with Connell, and she knows that she needs some time before making a decision about what she found. Hiding the amulet in her hand, Santana moves quickly to her pack, shoving it into the side pocket before anyone notices. She feels guilty for not showing the others, most especially Brittany, but as Quinn makes her way over to where Santana is kneeling, Santana pushes the feeling aside and sets her mind to the tasks at hand.

“Brittany said the coven was a coven of seven so it looks like all the bodies have been recovered.”

Nodding her head, Santana runs her hands over her face before reaching up to pull her hair back into a ponytail, using the smaller leather strip she pulled from her pack to hold it in place. “Did you find anything when you were out on patrol?”

“Nicolas found a few tracks around the perimeter of the town but they seemed to be at least a few days old. We followed them just to make sure but nothing seemed to indicate that anyone or anything remained in this area after they left. Judging from the way the fires are smoldering and based on the tracks we found, I’d say Aleksander’s forces were here probably three or four days ago.”

“Magical fires could burn for longer but I think you’re right, Quinn. If there aren’t any fresh tracks, we’re probably alone here. It’s going to be full dark here soon so we’re going to need a place to camp for the night until we figure out where to go next. Malek, Nicolas…come here.”

Waiting until they are at her side, Santana points to the area above the church. “Scout the mountain and see if you can find anything suitable for camp. There may still be scavengers that could roam through here and I don’t want to take our chances in these woods tonight. If possible, I’d prefer we take the higher ground.”

Malek and Nicolas walk away and shift quietly, taking off along the path near the side of the church. Quinn and Santana watch them for a few moments before noise by the clearing gets their attention, both of them watching as Brittany takes out one of their larger bowls, placing it on the ground at her feet.

“How is she?”

Quinn’s quiet concern makes Santana feel like crying, Brittany’s grief like sharp pinpricks against her magic and Santana realizes that this is one pain that she can’t take away. On a shaky breath, she turns and walks slowly back over to the clearing with Quinn, stopping before they get within Brittany’s earshot. “Devastated. Sad. Angry. Not that I blame her. I can’t imagine putting your hope into finding an answer here only to have it ripped away by Aleksander again. My heart breaks for her.”

Resting her hand on Santana’s shoulder, Quinn offer’s her support, watching as Brittany uses her magic to summon the moisture from the land around them, filling the bowl in front of her with water. “What is she doing with that?”

“She wants to give the coven their Returning Rite. It’s the highest honor for a funeral ceremony and can only be led by someone of the high council.”

“Brittany is high council?”

“She is.”

Quinn remains quiet as Brittany finishes her spell, turning to look at Santana once Brittany picks the bowl up. “Is there anything I can do or anything she needs?”

Quinn offering to help without hesitation brings a tiny smile to Santana’s face and she nods her head. Santana knows the rite that Brittany will be performing and it occurs to her that instead of Brittany having to conjure what she needs, Rachel might have it in her pack. “Actually, yes. When you brought the herbs to Rachel before we left, did one of the pouches have nightsvane petals? I know Rachel sometimes will use those to soothe troubled sleep.”

“She does have that. Connell tends to get restless the longer we travel and she thought it might help him on the trip home.”

“Brittany will need some for this ritual, if you could bring her the pouch?”

“Of course.”

Leaving Quinn to retrieve the pouch, Santana goes over to where Brittany is standing, not bothering to restrain the urge to comfort with touch as she runs her hand down Brittany’s arm. “Would you like help with the rite? I’m not of high council but as a witch, even as a hybrid, I could help.”

After filling the first water bowl, Brittany was wracked with sadness, hoping she had the strength to get through the rite without breaking down into tears again. Having Santana offer her assistance has Brittany swallowing back tears before giving Santana a tiny nod. The thought of what the first part of the rite entails was filling Brittany with such heaviness and knowing that Santana is willing to bear that burden with her, it eases some of the tightness in her chest.

Santana heads over to get another bowl, stopping next to Rachel and Connell to ask them to find and light two torches. Following Brittany’s lead, Santana places the bowl on the ground and uses her magic to call forth the water to fill the bowl, movement to her left capturing her attention as she sees Malek and Nicolas shift before walking into the clearing. Once the bowl is full, she places it next to Brittany’s, meeting Malek halfway as he makes his way over to her.

“We found a small cave, not too far up, that will suit our needs for camp. I had to crouch slightly so it’s not very high but it’s well wide enough that we should all be able to stay there with our supplies.”

“That sounds like it will work just fine.”

Observing the sight over Santana’s shoulder, Malek meets her eyes solemnly, leaning a little closer as the wind picks up. “Brittany is preparing a funeral rite?”

Confirming Malek’s question with a nod, Santana shifts to her left slightly as Quinn reaches out to hand her the pouch of nightsvane petals. “Thanks, Quinn. I’m going to check and see if Brittany is ready to begin.”

Santana keeps the pouch in the palm of her hand, kneeling next to Brittany as she looks up at Santana’s approach. Wordlessly, Brittany takes the pouch and looks inside, the look on her face drawing a small sympathetic noise from Santana. With her hand resting lightly on Brittany’s wrist for a moment, Santana meets and holds Brittany’s gaze, hoping that Brittany will draw strength from her and even from the pack who was gathered in a half circle behind them. “Are you ready?”

Letting her eyes close for a minute, Brittany exhales slowly, tucking her grief away and calling on her magic and the guidance of her ancestors to help her get through these next few minutes. When she opens her eyes, Santana is still watching her and Brittany feels their connection in that moment as keenly as she’s ever felt it before. Knowing that she doesn’t have to do this alone, not with Santana and her pack there to bear witness, Brittany straightens her shoulders and opens the pouch.

“Let’s begin.”

 

* * *

 

Reaching into the pouch, Brittany pulls out a few of the nightsvane petals and drops them into each of the bowls, concentrating on the sound of the wind blowing through the clearing and Santana’s steady breathing, using both to calm her down as she blesses both bowls of water. Handing one of the bowls to Santana, Brittany walks over to the first body and kneels down, dipping two of her fingers into the water. Looking down at the bruised face of one of the witches, Brittany doesn’t bother to stop her tears, her fingers moving gently across each of the woman’s closed eyelids. “May you greet your next journey with eyes that will only see light and love and never again bear witness to the horrors brought upon you here.”

Dipping her fingers in the water once more, Brittany gently picks up each of the woman’s hands, washing her palms clean as she continues the ritual. “You leave behind this physical form, your magic clean, so that you may once again become part of the beauty of the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. I send you on this journey with love.”

Moving to the next body, Brittany pauses, a sob caught in her throat as she looks down the line of bodies, wondering if she can get through doing this six more times.

“You can do this, Brittany. You honor them by doing this and it is an incredible gift you are giving their spirits.”

Brittany can see the sheen of tears in Santana’s eyes as she waits patiently next to Brittany and she takes a deep breath, taking Santana’s words to heart. Placing more water on her fingers, Brittany repeats the ritual on each of the witches’ bodies, her voice hoarse by the time she reaches the last one. Standing to her full height, Brittany asks Santana to bring the other bowl of water, pulling one of her daggers out while she waits.

“What’s next, Brittany?”

Slicing a shallow line across her palm, Brittany makes a fist, letting her blood drip into the water. Healing the cut a few moments later, Brittany puts her dagger back at her waist and looks back to find the torches before answering Santana’s question. “I’m going to pour the water in a circle around them to seal them inside the sacred circle. I’ll need you to take one of the torches and stand across from me as I say the funeral rite and when I tell you, bring your torch down into the circle.”

Agreeing, Santana gives the bowl to Brittany and retrieves both torches, handing one to Brittany once she finishes pouring the water. Taking her place across from Brittany, Santana watches as Brittany speaks the words of the rite in _Castiveen_ , the common language of witches. The reverence and sense of duty comes through strong, despite the quiver of emotion, as Brittany speaks and Santana is moved by the display, her heart aching for Brittany as she finishes and takes a shuddering breath.

Holding her hand toward the circle, Brittany sends her magic to cover the bodies like a fine mist, looking to Santana with a plea in her eyes. Raising her own hand, Santana casts her magic over the bodies as well, the mist turning a soft purple and filling the outline of the circle. Brittany feels grateful that her and Santana’s magic is like the color of the boonlan flowers of Vasperk and she finds something comforting in that as she gets ready to close the ritual. Indicating the torch in Santana’s hand, Brittany holds hers out to her side, waiting for Santana to do the same. “May you know only peace now and know that justice for you will be had.”

Santana follows Brittany’s lead and brings her torch to the circle, touching the flames to the mist. The power of the flames dance along Santana’s hand and no sooner do they set the mist on fire than the bodies disappear, the flames extinguished instantly. Stepping forward, Brittany slides her boot through the line of water and breaks the ceremonial circle, turning to face the pack with a heavy breath. “Thank you for being here for this, to bear witness to their funeral. It means a lot to me and I just want to thank you. And I also want to apologize. I’m sorry that your travels and your troubles were for nothing. You all could have lost your lives during that fight a few days ago, just because you were escorting me here, and while I am so grateful for all that you’ve done, I am so sorry I pulled you from your home for this.”

Surprising Santana, Nicolas steps forward, gently taking the torch from Brittany as he looks at her.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Brittany. Not one thing. You couldn’t have known what we’d find here and you’re not to blame for what happened. I’m just really sorry that what you were hoping to find with the coven is gone.”

Remembering the amulet in her pack, Santana flushes with guilt but bites her tongue, walking over to pick up the pouch and hand it back to Rachel. Giving Malek the torch when he walks over, the rest of the pack makes their way to stand next to Brittany and Santana.  

“Malek and Nicolas found a cave that will give us shelter tonight to make camp. Let’s get our things together and head up there. I doubt anyone will be back here tonight but I’d feel better if we were safely set up with camp sooner rather than later.”

“When morning comes, it might be a good idea to go through the town and see if there are any supplies that we might be able to salvage.” As soon as he finishes speaking, Malek turns to Brittany, his expression softening as he continues speaking. “Apologies, Brittany. I realize how that might sound considering what you just went through.”

Brittany knows that Malek is right, even if the practical nature of his words rub a bit roughly over her tender heart. With a small smile, Brittany shakes her head, touching Malek’s arm briefly as she speaks. “No need to apologize, Malek. You’re right. Who knows what will happen on your return home to the cabins and you should definitely take anything you can find that could be useful on the trip.”

Santana notices that Brittany doesn’t include herself in that sentence and she has to look away, the thought of Brittany not returning with them bringing an actual pain to Santana’s chest. Reaching down, she picks up her traveling pack, sliding her arms through the straps and taking the torch back from Malek. “We’ll take a look in the morning. But right now, let’s get up this mountain. The air feels like snow and I’d like to be safe and warm before that storm hits.”

 

* * *

 

Malek was right and while Rachel was really the only one who could stand without issue, the cave was wide enough to accommodate all of them comfortably. Santana enchanted the fire so the cave wouldn’t fill with smoke and after a few minutes, everyone was settled down with the worst of the chill chased away. Appetites were low but Santana made them all eat at least a little something, resting with her back against her traveling pack nibbling on a strip of dried rowol deer, watching Brittany stare into the fire.

Santana feels like the amulet might as well be glowing inside her pack for the burden of guilt it brings her by keeping it from everyone, especially Brittany. Looking around at everyone, she feels torn. All she wants is to protect her pack and get them back home safely and while she’s not sure when it happened, Santana now includes Brittany in that equation, thinking of Brittany as part of her pack. Unsure if Brittany will even want to return with them, Santana knows that she’s being selfish by not telling everyone about the amulet she found and what she believes it means. Part of her wants to tell Brittany, even if it means that Brittany doesn’t continue on with them, because it is the right thing to do. But as she looks at Brittany across the camp, Santana can see the weight of everything pulling at her. And more than that, Santana feels unsettled by the way that Brittany’s magic feels.

Opening herself up, Santana lets herself feel the magic that surrounds Brittany and there’s a heaviness to it that feels dark against Santana’s magic. She expected that Brittany might be withdrawn when they made camp, the others were mostly quiet as well, but there is a look in Brittany’s eyes that makes Santana feel uncomfortable. Everything in Santana is telling her to go sit next to Brittany and talk to her and she can feel herself going to do just that when Brittany stands up, excusing herself and telling everyone that she needs some air.

They all look at Brittany as she stands, Quinn glancing over at Santana as Brittany makes her way to the mouth of the cave and leaves without another word. Standing too, Connell calls out to Brittany, reaching down to pick up her cloak from her pack. “Brittany, wait…it’s cold, you’ll need your cloak!”

Before he can follow Brittany, Santana gets up and stops him, taking the cloak from his hand. “I’ll go.”

“Be careful, Santana.”

Nodding to Rachel, Santana puts her own cloak on and leaves the cave to find Brittany.

 

* * *

 

Using her magic, Santana holds her hand in front of her, her fingers casting a red light against the path as she sweeps her hand left and right, finally coming across a faint trace of Brittany’s magic leading higher up the mountain. The moon is only half full but its light is enough for Santana to make her way along the path, eventually finding Brittany standing near the edge of the trail, looking down over Vasperk.

Brittany knows that Santana is there but she doesn’t turn around, keeping her eyes downcast as she’s able to see the entire town with its destruction laid out in all its horrible glory. She feels anger like poison mixing its way into her system and she can feel her magic changing with it, her heart pumping it deeper and deeper into her body the longer she stands there. She wants to hurt something or someone, giving in to the frustration and rage she feels at this chance to do something once again taken away from her. Glancing down, she sees the dark blue of her magic like vines twisting around her wrists and she holds her hand out and makes a fist, welcoming the feeling of power racing across her arm as she feeds her magic with her anger. Turning her gaze to the horizon, Brittany vows to herself then and there to kill as many of Aleksander’s dark ones as she can on her way to get to him, even if she dies trying.

Moving a little closer, Santana watches Brittany and sees the darkness swirling around her like a flickering shadow and she tightens her grip on Brittany’s cloak in reflex. She recognizes the darkness, having it seen it in others, and she feels anguished by it, not wanting to see the goodness and light in Brittany replaced by what she’s seeing now. Tentatively approaching Brittany, Santana holds Brittany’s cloak out to her and waits for her to take it. “You left without this. Here, take it so you don’t get cold.”

Not turning her head to look at Santana, Brittany knows that even if Santana couldn’t see her magic right now, she can no doubt easily sense the change. Brittany can hear the worry in Santana’s voice and while part of her wants to reassure Santana, she finds that she just can’t summon the energy to do so. The wind picks up on the path they stand on, the air bitter cold on the mountain, but Brittany doesn’t feel it, her magic heating her from the inside. Still, she takes the cloak from Santana and puts it on, clenching her jaw at the entreating look in Santana’s eyes. Knowing that Santana probably knows what she is thinking, Brittany turns her head and looks at Santana, her voice firm. “I’m going after him.”

Even expecting Brittany to feel that way doesn’t stop the dread from rushing through Santana’s chest, taking a step closer to Brittany as she stares at her. “You can’t go by yourself, Brittany.”

“You can’t stop me and I know you won’t come with me and you probably shouldn’t. I can’t thank you and your pack enough for what you’ve done for me but I understand why you’ll return to your home now.”

“I didn’t say anything about returning.”

Squaring her shoulders and facing Santana, Brittany laughs bitterly, ignoring the pain starting to slither into her heart at the way she’s speaking to Santana. “You’re not going to fight, Santana. You want the safety of your cabins and your cloaking spells, where your pack is protected, and I don’t blame you. Look at Vasperk! This is all that probably awaits any of us out there now. You’re better off back on your land.”

Chafing at Brittany’s tone, Santana steps closer, meeting her stare head on. “Don’t tell me what I’m better off doing.”

“It’s what you wanted in the first place, wasn’t it? To stay behind and stay alive? Well, I’m releasing you of your obligation to escort and protect me, Santana. I will continue on from here and you can all return home."

“You’re not an obligation. Dammit, Brittany, look at me. I didn’t come with you out of a sense of obligation, you know that.”

Sighing, Brittany turns her back on Santana, closing her eyes against the angry tears she feels there. “I don’t know much of anything any longer. The only thing I do know is that Aleksander deserves unending pain for what he’s done and I’m going to do everything I can to bring it to him. That’s about as much as I know right now.”

Taking a chance, Santana strides forward to Brittany, standing only a foot away. “That’s not all you know. There’s more. There’s always more.”

Opening her eyes, Brittany looks at Vasperk, going to move away from Santana. “There’s nothing.”

Grabbing Brittany’s elbow, Santana spins her around, her gaze flickering between Brittany’s eyes for a second, her voice whisper soft. “There’s this.” Reaching up, Santana hesitates for only a second before pulling Brittany into a hard kiss, her palms curving under Brittany’s jaw as she feels Brittany respond.

The heat Brittany feels at the touch of Santana’s mouth on hers feels like it’s burning, their magic clashing together as surely as her back against the rock wall on the side of the mountain as Santana pushes her against it. Forgetting everything, Brittany gives in to the heat and answers Santana’s kiss, her hands gripping hard at Santana’s waist and pulling her closer, drowning in the solid feel of Santana against her. Pulling her head back, Brittany breathes heavily, licking her lips before softly whispering Santana’s name.

Easing her hold on Brittany’s face, Santana leans in slowly and kisses Brittany again, this time in soft gentle motions, moaning lowly into the kiss as Brittany slides her hands across Santana’s back and holds her closer. Brittany’s magic feels like it’s melting against hers now, little tingles dancing along her skin as Brittany opens her mouth, stroking her tongue over and over against Santana’s. The sound Brittany makes as Santana responds to their kiss has a low pulse of arousal flickering to life in Santana’s belly, her thumbs stroking firmly across Brittany’s cheeks.

Sliding her hands across Santana’s sides, Brittany reaches up and cups the back of Santana’s head, dragging her teeth across Santana’s bottom lip as they both pull away and just breathe into the space between their open mouths. Pursing her lips, Brittany kisses Santana slowly, taking a few seconds to enjoy the soft feel of Santana’s bottom lip as she sucks gently on it before sliding her lips across Santana’s cheek, holding her mouth there as Santana pulls her forward into an embrace.

Standing there and feeling Brittany’s heart beating against her body, Santana closes her eyes and loses herself for a moment in the taste of Brittany’s kisses, licking her lips before turning her head and pulling Brittany even closer. After everything that’s happened in the past couple of days, this connection with Brittany feels like one of the only solid things left in the world. Their magic seems to float around them and even though it seems wrong to feel happiness in a place surrounded by so much destruction, Santana allows the gratitude she feels for having Brittany with her grant her a moment of peace.

Brittany leans back to look at Santana, blushing slightly at the look in Santana’s eyes as she glances down at Brittany’s mouth. Brushing Santana’s hair back from her face, Brittany runs the backs of her fingers across Santana’s cheek before running her thumb lightly across her bottom lip. “This is definitely not nothing.”

Santana understands that Brittany is speaking about more than just their kiss and she nods her head, kissing Brittany’s palm as she goes to cup Santana’s cheek. “I know.”

“To have found you now…”

“I know.” Reaching down, Santana holds Brittany’s hand, intertwining their fingers and bringing their joined hands up between them. Their magic moves in slow tendrils between their skin and the beauty of the way it looks brings a smile to both their faces. Staring into Brittany’s blue eyes, there is conviction behind Santana’s voice as she finally allows her heart and her mind to speak as one. “I won’t leave you, Brittany. Not now. I don’t think I can, even if I wanted to. This connection between us, I’ve never felt it before for anyone in my life and the thought of you, out there alone, it’s unacceptable. I have this need to protect you and to be by your side and I don’t know how you came to find me that night, but I am so grateful that you did.”

Leaning forward, Brittany kisses Santana once more, letting out a deep breath at the lightness she feels now. She understands there was a darkness building inside of her when she came outside earlier tonight and the sharp feel of it slicing through her magic is now replaced by the feel of Santana’s magic filling in all the spaces left behind. She doesn’t know why her seeking spell brought her to Santana’s cabin either and she’s not sure she can explain the instant connection she felt when she looked at Santana for the first time but as Santana smiles at her, Brittany isn’t sure that she needs to explain it. With the darkness seeming to infect more and more of the lands around them, Brittany accepts that it’s enough that what’s between her and Santana even exists.

“I didn’t want to leave you and the others, Santana. It was killing me to think that I would have to, even though a part of me thought that it might be right, that it might be best for you all to return to your home. But, I think…no, I know…I know that I need you for this. My anger would have only taken me so far and even then, I’d probably end up dead before I was even close to Aleksander’s castle.”

Tilting her head back, Brittany sighs deeply before looking at Santana once more. “ _This_. I don’t even know what “this” would be, Santana. In reality, I know I can’t just charge in there but there has to be something we can do. This coven thought they knew of a way to make a difference and now they’re dead. I just wish I knew what it was. To think they died in vain…I can’t even think about it. Their deaths have to mean something otherwise this is all for nothing.”

In that moment, Santana’s decision is made. Looking at Brittany, and thinking about her pack waiting for them back at the cave, Santana understands that fighting for her pack and fighting to have the chance to explore this relationship with Brittany is the only choice she can make now. Thinking about the amulet she found, Santana knows that while the seven of them may not succeed in bringing Aleksander down by themselves, they can at least give themselves and the resistance fighting against him some sort of a chance.

Pulling Brittany in for a quick kiss, Santana hesitates and then kisses her again, just because she can. Stepping back, Santana keeps holding Brittany’s hand, leading her back to their camp. “Come back with me. I have to show you something. I have to show you all something.”

 

* * *

 

With Brittany walking ahead of her into the cave, Santana goes right to her pack and retrieves the amulet. As Brittany sits down next to Rachel and Connell, Santana moves to stand in front of the fire, asking for everyone’s attention.

“First, I want to apologize to all of you. I’ve been keeping something from you and while I can tell you honestly that I was doing it to give myself some time to think, it’s not right and all of you deserve to know what I found and what it means.”

Holding her hand up, Santana lets the amulet dangle from her fingers, letting her pack and Brittany look it over. “I found this in the rubble of the church when we were recovering the bodies of the coven. I believe this is what the dark ones that destroyed them were looking for when they attacked the church. Brittany, do you know what this is?”

Looking closer, Brittany can sense that the amulet contains magic but the mere existence of it doesn’t mean anything to her. Shaking her head, Brittany feels her anxiety pick up at the serious look on Santana’s face. “No. I mean, other than just being a magical amulet, it doesn’t have any significance to me. What is it?”

Turning the amulet over, Santana reads the inscription on the back, dropping her hand to her side as she tells them what it means. “This amulet…it’s the original source of power for all witches. It’s been said that when magic was discovered, the ancient ones were concerned about the strength of its power and while they allowed magic to remain in this world, they took the core of it, the very essence of it, and they bound it to three amulets. The first was stolen by the original dark coven that used its power to evil purposes, corrupting the amulet such that the stone turned black. The second amulet was given to a powerful werewolf clan, one of the original families, for safekeeping as the magic contained inside was useless to them and they were immune to the seduction of its powers. That second amulet was captured by Aleksander and is probably what has given him and the Sogues the reserves of magic and power that they’ve been using to capture and destroy everything. This amulet is the third amulet and based on the inscription, the purest of the three.”

Meeting Brittany’s eyes, Santana continues speaking, holding the amulet out to her. “If the three amulets were to be joined somehow, the person that held that power would unstoppable. The world as we know it would be theirs for the taking. I believe this coven was trying to use this amulet in a way that would not only prevent Aleksander from getting it but would grant them the power to use it to their advantage to try and stop him.”

As Brittany stands up to take the amulet, turning it over in her hand to look at the inscription, Santana looks around at her pack, nerves skittering along her skin like tiny bugs. “Before you ask, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with this information. There is a part of me, and it may very well be a weakness, that wants to get us back home where we can be protected. Where we will be alive. And together. But I know that cannot be my choice any longer. What I want to do is dangerous and I want you all to listen to me very carefully.”

Santana goes to Nicolas’ pack and pulls out the map he keeps there, spreading it onto the floor at everyone’s feet and pointing to a town a few days from Vasperk. “Here, at Thestin, is a sacred church. It’s protected by such strong magic, ancient magic, that I know that Aleksander’s forces, even with the help of the Sogues, could not have breached.”

“How can you be sure?”

Looking first at Quinn, Santana answers Rachel’s question. “I just know. Believe me, if he had been able to get a stronghold at that church, even hidden away as we have been, we would have heard the news. Located in that church is a book of spells and in that book is an ancient spell. I believe this coven was trying to find a way to use this amulet and get to that spell. That spell not only releases the power of the amulet but it will turn all hybrids back into pure blood witches and will strengthen the magic of the light witches that remain.”

Malek glances over to where Brittany is holding the amulet, concern in his voice as he questions Santana. “What’s to stop the dark witches from getting the power as well once its released from the amulet?”

“The power in this amulet is so pure that it won’t reach those who have turned their hearts to darkness.”

“Again, how can you be sure?”

With frustration, Santana slaps her palm against the map, instantly regretting the way that Rachel jumps back from the sound. “I can’t. I just…we have to trust in the amulet and the spell. This coven died trying to protect this amulet and if they believed in it, then so do I.”

Quinn’s voice is even as she looks at Santana, her gaze taking stock of Santana’s expression. “Assuming this plan was what the coven had in mind, and I only say assuming because we have no way of truly knowing, what is it that you want to do, Santana?”

“I want to take the amulet, go to Thestin to retrieve the spell, and take both to Featherstone Castle in Ravensbrook. If we use both there and with the element of surprise hopefully on our side, it may just be enough to allow us to get inside and kill him. If the spell works, once we release the power of the amulet, those in the resistance will sense the shift of power and if luck is on our side, it should help turn the tide of the battles being waged across the lands.”

“Santana, that’s a lot of ifs and hopes for luck, if we are even alive long enough to make it to his castle.”

Standing up, Santana looks all of them in the eyes, lingering on Brittany for a moment before speaking. “The time for hiding is over. I thought that biding our time and staying protected at our home, safe and away from the fighting would be the best thing for us. It was always a temporary plan but it’s what seemed best for us in that moment but seeing Vasperk, the destruction here and knowing that town after town is falling just like this one, I don’t think I can stand by any longer. Everything is falling down around us and either we take a stand now with the opportunity we have with this amulet or we risk just waiting around to die.”

Santana meets Brittany’s gaze as she says these last words, the connection between them intensifying as Brittany recognizes those same words as the ones she said to Santana the night of the Dacrem. Santana can see in Brittany’s eyes that she’s with Santana in this, Brittany’s own desire to take the fight to Aleksander made clear to Santana when they spoke on the mountain earlier. With a deep breath, Santana knows that it’s the decision of her pack that has her heart feeling heavy, knowing that she risks either losing them to battle or losing them from her pack altogether.

“I won’t call for another Dacrem. This decision to go forward with me is one that I am asking that you make on your own, without the influence of pack loyalty. This decision to follow me could be one that leads you into certain death and while I want you all at my side, should you decide to return back home, I will release myself as alpha and free you from the binds that tie you to me. That home is your home as much as it’s one that I created and I promise you, I won’t blame you if you seek refuge there. Given what I am asking you to do, I would understand if you choose not to walk this path with me.”

Brittany finds that she can’t breathe once Santana finishes talking, the magnitude of what Santana might be sacrificing overwhelming her. She can feel the nervous tension in the pack as they absorb what Santana has said and Brittany eases back, letting them have Santana’s full attention. The corner of the amulet is digging into Brittany’s palm and she relaxes her hand, silently giving Santana her support as she waits for someone in the pack to speak.

The only thing that Santana can hear other than the cold wind outside the cave and the crackling of the fire is her own heartbeat in her ears, her blood pounding as what she’s just said really hits her. She can sense the hesitation in the pack and she clears her throat, giving them all an out for the time being. “I know that is a lot to hear and to think about and I understand if you all want time to think about it. We can rest tonight and talk more about it in the morning.”

“No.” Leaning closer to Santana, Malek’s face is as serious as Santana has ever seen him. “I don’t need any time to think about it, Santana. When my pack turned and joined Aleksander, the darkness hadn’t yet taken hold completely of their hearts. My oldest brother Katem gave me a choice. I could turn with them or I could fight my way out, giving me a head start to try and find my freedom. Though he promised that I would be hunted down should I escape, he told me that as my brother, he would at least be fair and give me a fighting chance. That night, I fought them with everything I had. I killed some of my own brothers and sisters while Katem watched, finally managing somehow to escape and run.”

Rising to one knee, Malek holds his arms out, not needing to roll up his sleeves for Santana to know the scars that made up the landscape of his skin. “When you found me and took me in, weak and broken, I swore my allegiance to you. I swore to join your pack and in doing so, I swore to protect the pack and follow you where you go.” Pointing to the scar on his face, Malek’s voice takes on a hint of anger, his eyes dark as he looks at Santana. “This is a reminder every day of what Aleksander took from me. It’s a reminder that he took my family and twisted my proud pack with his darkness. I swore my life to you on the day I joined your pack, Santana. My loyalty will only stop on the day my life is taken from me. I’m with you in this until the very end. If you want to go after Aleksander, then I welcome the chance to avenge my brothers and sisters.”

Clearing her throat, Santana tries to control the tremble in her voice as she accepts his pledge. “Thank you, Malek.”

Rachel holds Connell’s eyes for a long time while Santana watches them, her heart beating hard in her chest as she waits for their decision. Standing up with Rachel, Connell walks over and stands next to her, nodding his head as Rachel speaks. “You are our family, Santana. This pack is our family. We are with you, till the very end.”

Quinn remained quiet as the others spoke, leaning against the side of the cave wall. As Rachel finishes speaking, Quinn stands up straight, her hazel eyes seeming to reflect the fire at Santana’s back. There’s a pause before Quinn talks and Santana understands that it’s not hesitation that’s putting it there but emotion. The rush of love and gratitude she feels for Quinn is returned as Quinn holds Santana’s gaze, her answer sure. “I’m with you. Always.”

“Well, you know you can count me in. Like I’m going to let you bastards go anywhere without me. You wouldn’t make it a few yards into his castle without me and my trusty _vetahck_.”

Nicolas’ levity makes Santana laugh, her voice cracking with emotion as she realizes that her pack is remaining with her, even with the dangers they will probably face. Despite his joke and the laughter of the others around them, when Santana meets Nicolas’ eyes, she sees the seriousness in them of his pledge to her, her gratitude conveyed in the smile she gives them.

Holding her hands over the small campfire, Quinn rubs them together, glancing over briefly as Rachel joins her at the fire. “Now that everything is settled, how long do you think it will take for us to get to Thestin?”

“Normally, I’d say three or four days, assuming we don’t get hit with another snowstorm. But I don’t know if we can afford to wait even that long. I don’t know if Aleksander realizes that the coven actually had the amulet but he may decide to send his forces here to take another look. We need to get to the sacred church by tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night? Santana, even if we all shifted and somehow were able to…I don’t even know…find a way for Brittany to keep up with us, there’s no way we’d get there by tomorrow night. Absolutely no way.”

“You’re right. There’s no way we can get there like that.”

The tone in Santana’s voice brings Brittany closer, curiosity coloring her voice as she looks at Santana. “Do you have an idea?”

Nodding her head, Santana keeps looking at Quinn, the corner of her mouth curving into a smile as she speaks. “Remember that thing that I do that you hate?”

“Yes but…oh no.”

“Oh, yes.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their initial battle plan in mind, the group makes their way to Thestin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

“Santana?”

Brittany’s question draws Santana’s attention and she glances away from the pointed look Quinn is aiming in her direction. “I am suggesting that we transport there…magically. By visualizing Thestin, I can use my magic to send us from here to there instantly.”

“You’ve been to Thestin before?”

“When I was a child. I assume it hasn’t changed much since then but even still, as long as I can get us close by, we won’t lose time trying to travel there in a more conventional way.”

Standing, Malek hunches slightly as he looks over to where the traveling packs are stacked near the cave wall, gesturing towards the mouth of the cave. “What about looking for supplies?”

“I don’t think we’ll have time for that, Malek. Not only that, I think the less we take with us, the better. I think our best chance is to leave tonight and not wait till morning. We can search for supplies once we’re there.”

Rachel kneels down and looks at the map, brushing her hand over Thestin before glancing up at Santana. “Will you send us there one at a time? Is that safe?”

“No. That’s a good point, Rachel. I think our best and safest option is to go all together.” Struck with an idea, Santana walks over to the wall of the cave, running her hand over the stone before looking over at the group gathered by the fire. “This cave is made of yarthstone. It’s probably why the coven built their church here. I think if I do the spell here, inside the cave, it should contain my magic and make it strong. I think it should make it strong enough to bring us all there together at once.”

“You _think_?”

Understanding Quinn’s pessimism, Santana walks closer to Brittany and holds her hand out, waiting for Brittany to do the same. Santana feels the pull to Brittany’s magic and waits for Brittany to give a small nod before holding her hand above Brittany’s palm, their magic arcing between their hands. Forcing herself to look away from how she can sense Brittany’s body reacting to their joined magic, Santana pulls her hand away and wiggles her fingers, the tingling in them traitorously traveling to other parts of her body. “I can tap into Brittany’s magic, Quinn. Between her and I, that should be enough magic to pull this off. You have to trust me.”

“I do trust you. I also remember the first time you thought it would be a good idea to separate Rachel and Connell from fighting by sending them to other sides of the field. It took Connell two days to get back to us.”

Ignoring Malek’s laugh, Santana flushes with embarrassment but answers Quinn’s observation with a determined look. “Thank you for reminding me of that, by the way. This is different. My magic was…a bit unpredictable then and I reacted with emotion when I used my magic rather than choosing to use it with purpose.”

Walking until she’s standing in front of Santana, Quinn nods her head as she touches Santana’s shoulder. “That can’t happen here. There are too many of us now and to be separated in this way, it could be really dangerous. You have to be sure, Santana.”

Santana flexes her hand, Brittany’s magic still thrumming just below her skin, before reaching up to grip Quinn’s wrist. “I’m sure. I have to be.”

There’s a long pause as Quinn looks at Santana, her hand dropping away from Santana’s shoulder as she stands up straight and takes a small step back. “Then you will be.”

Nicholas stands and taps his _vetahck_ against his leg, running his other hand through his hair before speaking. “What do you need from us before you’re ready to do this thing?”

“I think we’ll need to consolidate traveling packs, maybe bring two at most.”

“I can help you with that, Nicholas.”

Santana watches as Brittany and Nicholas walk over to the traveling packs, letting her eyes linger on the side of Brittany’s face before turning back and calling Malek over. “I know I said that I didn’t want to scavenge for supplies in town but there is one thing I think we could use. There were vials in the church, most of them smashed, but there were one or two that I believe were still intact. See if you can find me a red vial. It would have black netting around the glass to protect it.”

“What’s in the vial?”

“Almost every coven I know kept a supply of _Levan_ potion. I’m hoping that this coven was the same.”

“What does it do?”

“It restores a witch’s magic almost instantly. I have a feeling that after I do this, even with Brittany’s magic, my power will be severely depleted. The last thing I want to happen is to be too weak to fight if we run into any trouble right away.”

Connell draws Santana’s attention as he asks his question, stepping around the fire to join the group standing near Santana. “Why didn’t you have any back home? Rachel kept all your herbs and potions and I don’t think she ever had one called _Levan_ potion.”

“Connell, don’t be rude. Santana’s potions are her business.”

“No, Rachel, it’s okay. While it’s true that most covens kept _Levan_ potions on hand, not many witches like to use it. It has a very intense, very euphoric, but very disorienting effect for the first little while after you drink it. Most witches choose to recharge their power and their magic naturally but I don’t want to take any chances. I may not need it but if there is a vial that is salvageable, I don’t think it will hurt to have one.”

“I agree with you. Malek, I’ll go with you and help you look.”

As Malek and Connell shift into wolf form and leave the cave, Quinn calls Santana and Rachel over to Nicholas’ map still spread out on the cave floor, kneeling as they do the same. “Let’s go over this plan one more time, Santana. Just to make sure that all the details are fresh in your mind before you do this. Tell us everything you remember about Thestin’s landscape.”

 

* * *

 

Brittany feels proud of herself as she barely flinches when Malek and Connell shift behind her, her mind able to appreciate their beauty rather than seeing only danger in their wolf form as they exit the cave. Returning to the task at hand, Brittany empties the contents of her pack onto the floor, getting ready to move her pack to the side in the leave-behind pile that she and Nicholas have been making. Nicholas puts his hand over hers and stops her, a knowing smile behind his beard as he reaches over with his other hand and puts her traveling pack back in front of them.

“No way, _draka_. I know Santana gave you that as a gift and if you think I’m going to let you leave it behind, you’re crazy.”

Touched by his sentiment, Brittany still shakes her head, even though the thought of leaving Santana’s gift behind was hurting her. “I appreciate that Nicholas but my pack is one of the smaller ones and it probably makes sense to…”

“To bring one of the smaller ones since it’ll be easier to transport.”

“But…”

“No buts. You’re bringing your pack. We’ll use your pack for the smaller and lighter items and we’ll use Malek’s pack for the other stuff. Okay?”

Brittany feels relief over not having to part with Santana’s gift so soon and rewards Nicholas with a smile, touching his hand briefly. “Thank you.”

Amused, Brittany watches as Nicholas’ cheeks redden, shrugging off her thanks as he grabs Connell’s pack and starts to empty it out. “Yeah, well, don’t think I’m suggesting it for your benefit. Like I want Santana to glare at me for letting you leave her gift behind. Noooooo thank you.”

Giving Nicholas an out with his reason, even though she knows better, Brittany takes his statement as an opening, her curiosity over him piqued after hearing Malek’s story. Organizing the items in front of her, Brittany takes a chance and looks over at him. “Nicholas, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How did you get to be with Santana and become part of her pack?”

Nicholas glances at Brittany and she sees that he understands why she asked her question, the small dagger in his hand going into Brittany’s pile before he reaches in and pulls out the final few items from Connell’s traveling pack. “Ah. Well, my story nearly isn’t as heartbreaking as Malek’s or Rachel and Connell’s stories. I was an only child and after my parents died, about a month into the start of the war, I hired myself out to provide protection to some of the wealthier families in the towns near where I grew up. My father fought in the Battle of the Three Rivers many years ago and brought me up with a sword at my side for as long as I can remember. When I lost him and my mother, my sword was really the only thing I had left.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents.”

Nodding his head in gratitude, Nicholas puts Connell’s empty traveling pack to the side and grabs Rachel’s pack, putting it on the floor in front of Brittany. As they each reach in to pull out essential items, Nicholas continues his story. “I got by on that for almost a year, earning a reputation and quite a bit of coin, if I’m being honest, though protecting wealthy families who think they can buy their safe passage through the lands wasn’t always easy. I had my fair share of scrapes and close calls but was successful in protecting the families paying me and eventually I ended up with the Masresths of Wogenfeld.”

As Nicholas pauses dramatically, Brittany realizes that he’s waiting for her to recognize the name of the family and decides to play along. “Wow, the Masress.”

Laughing, Nicholas takes Rachel’s traveling pack back and puts it off to the side, handing Brittany Quinn’s traveling pack as he pulls Malek’s traveling pack closer. “It’s _Masresths_. And anyway, as I came to find out, they were _draylenks_ anyway.”

“ _Draylenks_?”

“Really not nice people. I was with them when I came across Quinn and Santana. I was escorting the family to Ecoch when we came across a small skirmish outside of town. Naturally, the family wanted to avoid the fight and we started to cut through the woods but I noticed that there were two women being attacked and since they were very much outnumbered, I wanted to go help them. The family saw Santana use magic and told me not to bother, that most witches would be dead soon and we would do best to protect our own.”

“Had Quinn shifted?”

“Sure, she was in wolf form but they told me that if she was siding with the witches, she would be dead soon too so it didn’t matter.”

“What a bunch of… _draylenks_.”

Clapping Brittany lightly on the back, Nicholas laughs again and kneels, looking over the items consolidated in front of them. Noticing that Santana, Quinn, and Rachel are still hunched over the map, Nicholas turns his head as Brittany asks another question. “What did you do?”

“I told the family to wait there and I went over and jumped into the skirmish. I almost lost my arm before Quinn realized I was fighting _with_ her and Santana. I managed to take out a decent number of the dark wolves who were attacking them, Santana and Quinn got rid of many of the others, and the three of us were able to get the ones stupid enough to stay and fight to finally retreat. When it was all done, I looked over and the Masresths were gone, though I’m not sure I really expected them to stay. Santana and Quinn felt bad that I lost my engagement with the family but were grateful for my assistance. I told them the family wasn’t worth it anyway and they asked what I was going to do now. Naturally, I told them that I would escort them and protect them, of course. After my brave show of strength, what other outcome could there be?”

Rolling her eyes at Nicholas’ grin, Brittany sits back on her heels and looks over Nicholas’ shoulder as Santana stands up and moves around to the other side of the map, meeting Brittany’s eyes for a second before resuming talking with Quinn and Rachel. Handing Nicholas the items he is pointing at, Brittany prompts Nicholas to continue the story. “What did they say?”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yes, but what did they say?”

Tucking the items into the bottom of Malek’s traveling pack, Nicholas flashes another grin at Brittany before he answers her. “They laughed at me. They thanked me again, of course, but they laughed at me. I took it the way it was intended, since clearly despite being outnumbered they were capable at fighting, and I backed off and wished them safe travels. I’d gone maybe a few minutes up the road from where I left them before they came after me, telling me that while they didn’t need an escort, they wouldn’t mind the company for a little bit. To this day I think they just felt bad for me but still, I had no other place to go really and no other plans at the moment since I was no longer serving the Masresths so I tagged along. The war was still young and like the first evening I met them, we got into other fights in our travels. We worked well together and after a while, they started to feel like the sisters I never had and soon, we picked up Rachel and Connell and shortly after we found Malek and this small pack became family. And now, I can’t imagine being anywhere else but with them.”

Nicholas finishes with a smile, looking over as Malek and Connell return to the cave. Brittany knows that Nicholas told her that his story isn’t as heartbreaking as the others but her heart still hurts a little bit for him anyway. She’s not sure that even he was aware of it but there was a sadness in his voice as he spoke about his life after his parents died and Brittany wonders at the lonely life he might have led, with no pack and always the outsider to families that weren’t his. The look on his face as he spoke about Santana and Quinn being his sisters and the pack being his family has Brittany feeling gratitude for Nicholas and for whatever fates put him in Santana and Quinn’s path that day.

“Any luck, Malek?”

Shaking his head, Malek walks closer to the fire as Connell does the same. “Sorry, Santana. We looked, even scouted around the church in case some of the vials may have scattered, but we couldn’t find any of the _Levan_ potions.”

Letting out a breath, Santana shrugs her shoulders, playing off the unease over not having a way to charge her magic once they reach their destination. “It’s okay, Malek. It was a long shot anyway given the condition of the church. We’ll just have to hope that we have some luck on our side when we arrive in Thestin.”

“Are we leaving soon?”

“Yes. The sooner we get there the better. If we’re going to take this gamble, I’d rather find out quickly whether this plan will work.” Santana doesn’t want to finish the rest of the thought in her head, that her plan will either put them safely near the church in Thestin or she’ll drop them in the middle of one of Aleksander’s armies that are no doubt in the area. Brittany captures her attention as she and Nicholas finish assembling to the two traveling packs at their feet, Brittany’s blue eyes meeting hers across the fire as she stands.

“Santana, can I speak with you for a moment?”

Nodding her head, Santana turns to Quinn, observing as Rachel rolls the map and hands it to Nicholas to put inside Malek’s traveling pack. “Quinn, stow the rest of our traveling packs and our gear towards the rear of the cave. Before we go, I’ll cloak the entrance to the cave. I know most of our things are replaceable but…”

“I understand. I think it will mean something to be able to come here and get them back when everything is all over.”

Grateful that Quinn understands, Santana leaves her to it and joins Brittany at the mouth of the cave, following her outside and away from the rest of the pack. Skidding on the dirt as Brittany stops abruptly, Santana is surprised as Brittany pulls her into a hug, her arms wrapped securely around Santana’s back. Santana’s arms go around Brittany on instinct and as she gets pulled even closer to Brittany’s body, she turns her head to try and see Brittany’s face. “Brittany, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just…I,” her voice trailing off for a moment, Brittany leans back to look at Santana before she continues speaking. “I just wanted to feel close to you. Now that we’re just a few minutes away from leaving here, all the danger, just everything feels so much closer than before. Ever since we kissed, I feel like there’s something open inside of me, Santana. This connection between us is the only thing that doesn’t make me feel so empty.”

Sliding her hands to hold onto Brittany’s waist, Santana pulls back and meets Brittany’s serious gaze, her heart beating a little faster as she acknowledges Brittany’s confession. “I know what you mean. I don’t understand it, how this connection can be like this when we’ve only known each other for such a short while, but I definitely feel it. Having you with me, here with my pack, strengthens me and it soothes me. I think you were meant to find me that night and you were meant to be here with us, now.”

“Just now?”

Brittany’s soft voice causes Santana to step a little closer, rising up on her toes to place a soft kiss on Brittany’s mouth, conveying her answer through touch. She knows that both she and Brittany understand that once they make it to Thestin, their future is unknown. The promise of something more, of something _after_ , feels uncertain but the want for it is there and Santana hopes that as Brittany returns her kiss, that it is a promise that she can make good on once this is all over.

Pulling back, Brittany cups Santana’s face, her thumbs stroking across Santana’s cheeks as they take this moment to just breathe together. Taking a deep breath, Brittany looks past Santana in the direction of the entrance to the cave, knowing that they should probably head back. She understands what Santana is trying to do and even though she has faith in Santana’s abilities, she still feels like she needs to make sure one last time before there’s no turning back. Focusing her magic, Brittany looks at Santana once more, her hands warm against Santana’s face. “Are you sure?”

“No. But, what choice do we have? The one thing that I am sure of more than anything is that you and I and my pack will do everything in our power to finish what I believe the Coven was trying to do. I have to trust that it will be enough.”

“We’ll make it be enough, Santana. Are you ready?”

Nodding, Santana’s hands clench against Brittany’s waist as Brittany kisses her. Moaning softly into the kiss as Brittany shares her magic, Santana can taste it along her tongue, her body heating rapidly as Brittany gently pushes her magic through Santana’s veins. She swears she can actually feel the blue of Brittany’s magic filling her body and merging with her own power, her hammering pulse slowing as she feels the belief that Brittany has in her. There is a calmness spreading through her body as Brittany slowly ends the kiss and Santana lets out an embarrassing laugh as she stumbles forward slightly when Brittany pulls away.

Brittany smiles as Santana steadies herself, reaching down to hold onto Santana’s hands. “When you cast the spell, I’ll give you a final burst of magic and hopefully, that will help make sure we all make it there in one piece.”

Santana’s body feels like it’s vibrating, the energy of their combined magic invigorating her senses and as she turns her head, she feels like everything she sees is in sharper detail. Meeting Brittany’s knowing smile with a small smile of her own, Santana runs her thumbs across the back of Brittany’s hands, her voice curious. “How are you not drained? With the amount of magic coursing through me right now, I don’t know how you’re still standing.”

“I didn’t give you _all_ of my magic, Santana. What kind of girl do you think I am?” Teasing another smile from Santana, Brittany lets out a sigh and shrugs her shoulders, pushing the hint of fatigue setting in to the back of her mind. The last thing she wants is for Santana to be worried about her, especially knowing that she’ll be giving Santana even more magic at the time of casting the spell, so she shrugs it off, letting go of Santana’s hands before she can sense how cold they’ve become. “I’m fine, Santana. A little tired from sending out so much in a short amount of time but I’ll be fine by the time you’re ready to start. I promise. Let’s head back, okay?”

Judging Brittany’s sincerity, Santana stares at her for a moment before agreeing, a little reluctantly, and leading Brittany back to the cave. Stepping inside, she sees everyone gathered in a circle around the fire, Malek shouldering the larger of the two traveling packs as Brittany’s sits in an empty space in the circle. Santana walks forward and takes her place next to Quinn, Brittany putting her traveling pack on and then standing on Santana’s other side. The energy in the cave coupled with the magic flowing inside her body has Santana laughing a bit nervously, her voice wavering slightly while she makes eye contact with the group standing around the fire. “I feel like I should give a speech or something. Or at least make a vow that I won’t scatter us to the four corners of the Earth.”

“I wouldn’t mind a vow like that.”

Connell’s teasing brings a small smile to Santana’s face and she turns her head as Quinn speaks next.

“We don’t need you to say a speech, Santana. You are our alpha and our trust in you is absolute. We know that you can do this.”

Inhaling deeply, Santana absorbs the trust of her beta and her pack and adds it to the power she can feel brimming below the surface of her skin. Turning, she quickly sends a cloaking spell over the mouth of the cave before facing the fire, calming the heat and stealing a little of its energy as the fire goes out, casting the cave into complete darkness. Feeling Brittany’s hand slide against hers, Santana asks everyone to hold hands, Quinn’s solid grip taking ownership of Santana’s other hand. For a few seconds, Santana lets herself feel the rush of doubt and fear about what she’s attempting to do and then she blocks it out, Brittany’s hand lightly squeezing hers. Taking another deep breath, Santana closes her eyes as she pictures the trees and landscape of Thestin, calling forward memories of the smell of the joclan trees and the sounds of the pipun birds native to Thestin. Her knees wobble slightly as she has a sudden flash of seeing Thestin from above, grateful as Brittany’s fingers slip between hers. Focusing again, Santana brings the image of Thestin church into her mind, the forest surrounding it sharpening, until a clearing a little bit away from the church becomes visible and Santana chooses that spot as the place to send them all.

“Now, Brittany.”

Santana’s hand tingles as Brittany sends a burst of magic into her body, Santana’s eyes opening at the feeling of it. Using some of that magic, Santana sends a ball of light to the center of the circle, casting all of their faces in a soft purple glow. Looking at the floor of the cave illuminated by the light, Santana pictures the dirt of the forest beneath their feet, the walls of the cave shimmering as she continues to picture the trees surrounding them, the glow in the circle growing as it starts to wash over their bodies and expand into the cave. Glancing up, she looks into the faces of those gathered in the circle, the strength of the magic in her body causing her voice to tremble. “Hold on tight. Whatever you do, do not let go of each other. It’s time.”

With another deep inhale, Santana summons all of her magic and casts the transporting spell, heat and pain pulling at her muscles as she feels the tension in her hands increase, both Brittany and Quinn gripping her hands tightly as the floor of the cave flashes wildly before seeming to disappear as the ball of light explodes in front of them. Blinking her eyes rapidly, Santana’s mouth opens on a cry of pain, her body aching as she struggles to keep the image of Thestin in her mind. She can hear Malek calling her name as a rush of cold wind scrapes across her skin, panic rushing right behind it as Brittany and Quinn’s hands start to slip from hers. Using her last bit of strength, Santana tries to clasp their hands harder, her stomach dropping out as it feels like something tears inside of her chest, Quinn and Brittany falling away from her just as everything goes dark and silent.

 

* * *

 

_“She’s not breathing.”_

_“Santana, open your eyes. Come on, now.”_

_“Where’s Brittany?”_

_“Malek, your head is bleeding.”_

Santana feels like she’s floating, the faint sound of voices barely registering, the feel of hands on her body almost like a memory. She wants to open her eyes but even that feels like too much and she lets herself sink further into the darkness, the call of sleep like a lover’s song. Suddenly her body is jolted awake, her eyes flashing open to find Brittany’s face above her, Brittany’s warm hands cradling Santana’s face. With wakefulness comes pain and Brittany’s brows furrow as Santana continues to watch her, Santana absorbing some of Brittany’s magic. Realizing that having them both drained to nothing won’t be good, Santana gently reaches up to ease Brittany away, Nicholas at her back to help her sit up. As Brittany sits heavily on the ground next to her and leans against her traveling pack, Santana looks around, anxiety filling her as she doesn’t see everyone.

“Where…” swallowing against a dry throat, Santana licks her lips and tries again, “where is everyone? Did we make it?”

Malek kneels as he lets Nicholas tend the wound across his scalp, grunting as he goes to nod his head only to have Nicholas glare at him. “I can’t get this to stop bleeding if you keep moving your head, Malek.”

Glancing down as Brittany covers her hand, Santana looks up and sees her smile as she answers Santana’s question. “You did it. We all made it.”

Before she can ask about the others, they all turn their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps, Quinn soon appearing and followed by Rachel and Connell. Quinn’s eyes find Santana’s immediately and she sees relief cross her face before Quinn makes her way over to where Brittany and Santana are sitting. Joining them on the ground, Quinn clears her throat uncomfortably as she looks at Santana. “I’m glad to see you’re okay. You were out when we arrived but I wasn’t sure how close to your target we were so I left to scout but…”

Touching Quinn’s leg briefly, Santana eases the guilt she can sense from Quinn for having left Santana in the condition she was in. “That was the right choice, Quinn. There was no way of knowing what we’d find once we got here and I’d rather we be protected than vulnerable to attack within minutes of getting to Thestin. Having said that, how did I do?”

Gratefully accepting the water flask that Rachel pulled from Malek’s traveling pack, Santana takes a sip as Quinn answers before handing the flask to Brittany. “If your goal was to put us within a day’s travel of the church, you failed.”

Feeling her shoulders slump, Santana almost misses the smirk on Quinn’s face as she continues speaking. “You put us within walking distance.”

“What?”

Taking the water from Brittany, Connell takes a long sip before putting it back into Malek’s traveling pack. “The church is right through the trees in front of us. We counted five guards on patrol around the perimeter with one guard at the entrance.”

“Did you get a sense that anyone was inside the church?”

“There wasn’t even a light on, Santana. We saw what could be broken battering rams on the steps in front of the door and under a few of the windows. I don’t think they can get in.”

Testing her strength, Santana goes to stand up, accepting Rachel’s hand with a grateful smile as she helps to pull Santana up. Doing the same for Brittany, Santana pulls her up, both of them looking at each other as they get their legs under them. Letting out a small breath as Brittany smiles softly, Santana turns to Connell, stretching her arms above her head as she feels her magic starting to recharge. “Then it’s what we thought, that Aleksander cannot breach the church.”

“Not to be negative, but if his forces can’t breach the church, what makes you think that we can?”

“Since we have one of the original amulets, we should be able to cross the threshold. Whatever magic barrier has been cast should allow for the amulet to pass through. Once inside, Brittany or I should be able to modify the spell to allow all of us to enter at will while still keeping Aleksander’s forces out. The fact that so few guards are here means that either Aleksander has given up hope of entering the church or he’s biding his time as he searches for this amulet. Either way, I think we’ll be safe once we take out those guards and get inside the church.”

Nicholas finally finishes tending to Malek’s head wound and Santana calls him forward, placing her hand next to the cut, a small line of fresh blood starting to trickle out. Using a tiny bit of magic, Santana seals the cut, not needing to take any of his pain as all she can sense from him is annoyance and slight embarrassment. “How did you hurt your head, Malek?”

“I overcompensated for the weight of the traveling pack when we…landed…and I sort of stumbled into the tree next to me.”

“ _Stumbled_? Ha! You fell over like an overfed _hygfani_ the night before the Summer festival. The way you teetered for a moment before almost aiming directly for the tree was…” Trailing off as Malek stands up to his full height and turns to face him, Nicholas raises his hands, the smile just barely falling from his face as he continues, “With all the grace of the noble warrior that you are.”

Patting Malek on his broad chest, Santana shakes her head at Nicholas before moving around them both, walking closer to the direction that Quinn emerged from earlier. “How are you all feeling? Are you ready to go take the church?”

With all affirmative answers, Santana watches as Brittany walks closer to her, her voice discreet as the others prepare themselves to leave. “Are you sure you’re okay, Santana? You were out for a little while and I know that spell must have taken a lot out of you.”

Pulling back on the instinct to take offense at her strength being called into question, Santana sees nothing but concern in Brittany’s blue eyes and her stance softens, taking an honest stock of how her body is feeling. “I’m not hundred percent and I suspect you’re the same.”

At Brittany’s nod, Santana steps a little closer and rests her hand on Brittany’s shoulder, their magic joining almost instantly and she returns Brittany’s surprised smile. “Don’t you need your magic, Santana? There are only a few guards but we don’t know their skill level and they may be wolves or hybrids and…”

Looking over Brittany’s shoulder, Santana sees that none of her pack are looking in their direction and so she steps forward and kisses Brittany once, squeezing her shoulder gently before stepping away. “I can still shift. I don’t need my magic for that. I won’t be at full strength but it will be enough.”

Brittany can hear the others approaching and even though she recognizes the stubborn line of Santana’s jaw as she almost wills Brittany to believe her, Brittany once again puts her trust in Santana. She meets Quinn’s eyes as she passes them and there is an understanding there, the body language of the pack as they go ahead of Santana letting Brittany know that she’s not the only one thinking about protecting Santana after what she just put her body through to get them to Thestin. Tightening her traveling pack around her waist, Brittany follows behind Santana as they head towards the perimeter of the church with what seems like only a few minutes passing before they get there.

Silently putting her traveling pack next to Malek’s, Brittany watches as Connell, Rachel, and Malek shift, Nicholas and Quinn still in human form at Santana’s side. As she continues to watch them, Brittany wonders at their ability to communicate like this, half of the pack as wolves and the others still as human. Observing as Santana kneels next to Malek, her hand resting on his shoulder as they both look across the open courtyard in front of the church, Brittany is curious if Santana being hybrid allows her to communicate on a deeper level and tucks away the question for a later time. There’s movement to her left and Brittany sees Rachel and Connell make their way in that direction, Nicholas shifting and silently moving to the right.

Before Quinn can shift, Santana looks down at Malek, pointing to the guard at the entrance of the church. “Quinn and I will take any guards that are behind the church. Malek, you and Brittany will handle the main guard at the entrance. Do not engage him until my signal. If you go too soon, the fight could alert the other guards and we don’t want to bring them into a central location where they are strengthened by their numbers.”

As Quinn shifts, Brittany reaches out and holds onto Santana’s arm, the moonlight overhead sharpening Santana’s features. “How will we know your signal?”

The grin Santana gives her tightens something low in Brittany’s belly and her hand slips from Santana’s arm as Santana answers her. “Trust me, you’ll know.”

The same pulse reaches Brittany’s belly as Santana shifts and takes off with Quinn forcing her to let out a long breath before joining Malek. This is the first time that Brittany is alone with a pack member in wolf form and despite knowing and trusting Malek, his sheer size has Brittany’s breath moving a little faster through her lungs. Watching him as he watches the guard at the entrance, Brittany traces her eyes over the scar still visible on his face, pushing away her long-standing fear and allowing her growing fascination to come through. That the fierce wolf next to her is also the same man that could tease Rachel, or bring extra sweets for Connell, is something that Brittany didn’t think she’d ever be able to reconcile. But as Malek makes a noise that sounds like disgust, Brittany looking over to see the guard urinating over the entrance steps onto the garden below, she knows that her time with Santana’s pack is changing all of that. Taking a chance, Brittany reaches out and rests her hand on Malek’s back, his eyes rolling to the side to look at her. Keeping her hand steady as Malek continues to look at her, Brittany releases the breath she was holding as he turns his head back to watch the guard, his body relaxing slightly under her hand. Brittany isn’t sure she can explain the connection she feels as they both observe the guard, but it fills something inside of her the way it does when she and Santana join their magic. After losing her family, Brittany fought only for her own survival with no real thought to an end goal, just thoughts of making it from day to the next. Even with the danger present in what Santana is trying to do, Brittany feels a sense of family, and of purpose, and she vows to herself to fight with everything she has for that, as much as anything else. Letting her magic free, Brittany waits with Malek, the tendrils of blue from her hands brushing across Malek’s fur. It seems only a few more moments pass before a long howl pierces the quiet night, Malek turning to her with what could only be described as a smile before taking off towards the guard, Brittany fast on his heels.

 

* * *

 

Taking out the guards turned out to be easier than they expected, the only injury a long slash across Rachel’s arm that Santana was currently healing. Watching as Malek places the body of the entrance guard into the garden, his body hidden by the bushes and long syhram flowers running along the steps, Brittany grins at Malek’s wink, understanding exactly why he was putting the guard in that spot. As the rest confirm that the other guards are hidden as well, Brittany reaches into her travel pack and retrieves the amulet, handing it to Santana once she’s finished with Rachel.

Looking at the amulet in her palm, Santana turns and faces the heavy doors of the church, her magic pulsing the closer she gets to the handle. Glancing back at everyone watching her expectantly, Santana holds the amulet up, her cheeks creasing into a small smile as she lets out a breath. “Here goes nothing.”

Gripping the long door handle, Santana tamps down on her magic, letting the power contained in the amulet guide her as she pushes on the door. Not budging, Santana ignores the flash of concern and pushes on the door harder, the amulet in her other hand warming up the harder she pushes until a burst of embers covers her as the door breaks the seal. The cool air of the church brushes over her body as Santana steps into the entranceway, pushing the door all the way open as she looks around, her eyes drawn to the darkened nave directly in front of her. Holding her hand out, Santana watches the torches tucked into the sconces on each pillar sputter to life until the interior of the church is revealed.

“Santana, couldn’t the light be seen by someone?”

Acknowledging Brittany’s point, Santana puts the amulet in her pocket and lifts her hands, sending her cloaking spell across all the windows to prevent the light from illuminating them to the outside world. Removing the amulet from her pocket, Santana looks at it for a moment, remembering the shower of sparks as she pushed the door open. Santana wonders if the others will be able to cross without having the amulet and she beckons Brittany closer. “See if you can enter without having this. To be honest, I’m not sure if I was granted entry because I had this or I’ve broken the magical seal completely by entering with the amulet.”

Brittany hopes that if the magic seal still does exist, she’ll simply be prevented from entering rather than having some repercussion occur. Holding Santana’s gaze, she steps forward, her breath held as she tentatively steps across the entranceway. When she successfully arrives at Santana’s side, Brittany turns around with a wide smile, waving the others forward. Malek and Nicholas shut the heavy doors once everyone is inside, using a more conventional method of securing the entrance by dropping a long wooden bar down onto two hooks resting on each door.

“What now, Santana?”

Walking a little further into the nave, Santana uses her hands to indicate the small rows of books lining parts of the wall and the two doors in the back, no doubt leading to a few smaller rooms. “Now we look for the spell book.”

“Not to be a pest but how will we know when we’ve found it? I can only assume that there may be dozens, if not more, spell books in this place.”

Sighing, Santana looks away from Rachel as she finishes speaking and takes in the enormity of the church, conceding that Rachel may be right. There’s silence as they all look around, Connell already going through the first low bookshelf to their left. It’s Quinn’s voice that grabs everyone’s attention as she moves to stand in front of Santana, indicating the amulet still held in Santana’s hand. “Could you use that as a way to tell if we’ve found the right one? When you were at the door before, it appeared to glow as you pushed your way in. What if we found all the spell books and brought them to the table at the back and I don’t know, did something with the amulet?”

Picking up on Quinn’s line of thinking, Brittany nods her head, looking over briefly as Connell carries an armful of books to the back of the church. “I think Quinn might be on to something. We could hold the amulet over the spellbook and see if it glows or if you feel something. If the coven here enchanted the doors to only be opened by their power or the power of an amulet, then maybe they did the same to the spell book.”

Agreeing to Quinn and Brittany’s idea, Santana directs everyone except Malek and Rachel to gather all the spell books and bring them to the back of the church. As the others set off, Santana picks up Brittany’s traveling pack and waits for Malek and Rachel to join her. “Malek, I want you to go through the rooms in back and upstairs. See if there are any supplies we can use. When Quinn and I were at the back of the church, there was a small shed attached and I think it might contain their well. We’ll need water, if the well is still viable.”

Handing Brittany’s traveling pack to Rachel, she walks with her to another long table in the back, igniting the wood in the fireplace behind it. “I think Brittany and Nicholas were able to pack most of our food or at least enough to get us through a meal or two before we have to find more. I know it’s not as much as you’d like to work with but can you put something together for dinner? I know I’m hungry and I can only imagine you all are too.”

“Of course, Santana. Give me about a half an hour and we should be good to eat.”

Malek emerges from one of the back rooms a few minutes later, his arms filled with a few spellbooks, a pouch, and a metal pot that can hang over the stove. Handing the pot to Rachel, he drops the books on the growing pile on the other table and comes back to hand the pouch to Santana with a smile. “ _Levan_ potions.”

“Ah, thank you, Malek.” Opening one of the vials, Santana takes a very small sip, not wanting too much of a jolt as she restores her magic. Heading over to Brittany, Santana holds the vial out and accepts Brittany’s grateful sigh with a small smile, watching as she takes a sip as well. Putting the cork back in the vial, Santana brings the pouch over to rest on top of Brittany’s travel pack and joins the others in gathering the spell books.

They all work wordlessly until Rachel’s voice calls out that the stew is ready and it’s time to eat. Taking a few extra minutes to gather the last of the books, they all drop them off on their way to join Rachel at the other table, their last loaf of bread split up by eager hands as bowls are filled with stew. Sitting at the table, the group lets out various sounds that speak to their aches and exhaustion, silence finally falling as they start to eat. The warm press of Brittany’s thigh next to hers comforts Santana as she makes her way through her meal.

“I could fall asleep on this table.”

Connell’s announcement is met with laughs and sheepish agreements and even though she feels bad, Santana knows she has to push them just a little further before they can all get some rest. “I know you’re all exhausted, as am I, but I want to find this spell book before we even think about resting. I don’t think I could sleep not knowing if this entire trip was for nothing.”

With a small tired groan, Nicholas stands up and stretches his arms over his head, scrubbing his hands over his face as he agrees with Santana. The others stand and join him, Connell staying behind to help Rachel clear and clean the dinner dishes.

Picking up one of the books, Quinn turns it over in her hand, flipping through the pages briefly before looking to Santana. “How do you want to do this?”

Taking the amulet out of her pocket, Santana looks between it and the book for a minute before holding her other hand out to take the book from Quinn. Feeling nothing, she hands the discarded spell book to Nicholas, instructing him to put it on the floor on the other side of the table to clear the space. Santana shrugs and reaches for another book, repeating the process when the amulet doesn’t react. “I guess I’ll just hold each book and see what happens. If luck is on our side, the spellbook is one of these first piles, otherwise we’re going to be at this for a while.”

Eventually Rachel and Connell join the group, everyone taking turns handing Santana a book and then taking it from her when the amulet does nothing. Deciding to skim through the spell books to see if she can find the inscription somewhere in the writing, Brittany sits on the floor near the growing discarded pile, meeting Santana’s eyes every so often as she lets out more and more frustrated sighs. The next hour passes in silence as Santana finally gives up standing and sits in the space on the table created by the now discarded pile of books. Only slightly begrudging Nicholas and Connell their naps as they sleep on the floor near Brittany, Santana almost misses the way the amulet pulses lightly in her hand at the last book that Malek hands her. After so much time with no reaction, instinct has her handing the book back to Malek before she realizes what happened and snatches it back from him. Her sudden movement draws everyone’s attention and Brittany gently shakes both Nicholas and Connell awake as all three of them stand up and come around the table to face Santana.

Hopping down from the table, Santana holds the dark green spell book in her hand and holds the amulet over it, feeling relief flood through her as the amulet glows brightly. Turning around quickly, Santana keeps the amulet above the spell book as she opens it, feeling the weight of her pack, and Brittany, at her back as they watch her skim through the book. Halfway through the book, the amulet almost burns her palm and Santana stops, putting the amulet on the table as she looks down, reading the handwritten _Castiveen_ words. The spell takes up two full pages and Santana feels both exhilarated and exhausted reading the words but at the forefront of her emotions is relief. Closing her eyes briefly, Santana lets the relief come that her plan, and the danger she put her pack and Brittany in, wasn’t a waste. There’s no guarantee that their plan will actually work but to have at least gotten this far, Santana holds on to that gratitude as she turns around to face the others. “This is it. This is the spell that will release the power from this amulet and cure the hybrids and also strengthen the light witches.”

Brittany can tell what Santana is feeling, not only from the look on her face, but because she is certain she’s experiencing the same emotions. Seeing the amulet glow and knowing that they’d actually found the spell book containing the spell they need is incredible but it also makes everything that they talked about doing much more real. Santana is looking right at her and Brittany holds her gaze for a long moment, the intensity of the moment broken by Connell’s loud yawn, his voice sheepish as he looks around at everyone. “Does this mean we can sleep now?”

“Shouldn’t we talk about what we’re going to do now?”

“Can’t we sleep first, like Santana said?”

Sensing Malek’s rebuke, Santana steps forward and runs her hand over Connell’s arm, nodding her head as Brittany and Rachel take the initiative to remove the other books from the table, leaving only the proper spell book in sight. “He’s right, Malek. The only way any of this works is if we get some rest. It won’t be a full night’s sleep, unfortunately, but hopefully a few hours will give us what we need to recharge and get our plans in order.”

Backing off, Malek gestures to the doors behind them. “There are a few rooms in the back and upstairs where the coven must have stayed. There should be enough beds for all of us.”

“Sounds good. I’ll take first watch.”

“Is that necessary?”

“I know the church is protected, and I’ll make sure to fortify the entranceway, but I don’t think I could sleep now even if I tried. There’s something about the amulet and the spell book…I don’t know. I just want to spend a little more time reading through everything. It’ll be fine. Go on and get some sleep.”

Nicholas, Connell, and Malek head through the door on the right, their normal good natured teasing absent in lieu of heavy boots hitting the ground and tired bodies dropping onto the beds. Rachel pauses as Quinn stops just in front of the other door, Santana reassuring Quinn about her decision to stay up with just a look. With a quick nod, Quinn follows Rachel in search of a room for the night, leaving Brittany and Santana alone in the main part of the church.

“Brittany, what are you doing?”

“You stay up, I stay up.”

Squaring her shoulders as Santana places the spell book and the amulet down onto the table, Brittany is prepared to argue with Santana, not wanting her to be the only one not resting. What she’s not prepared for is Santana cupping the back of her head and pulling her into a kiss, turning their bodies until Brittany bumps against the table, her arms going around Santana as her warm weight presses closer. Santana put her hair down after dinner and Brittany takes the opportunity now to bring her hands up and run her fingers through the dark strands, the kiss slow and gentle as Santana deepens it before trailing her lips across Brittany’s cheek. As Santana places a kiss there, Brittany smiles, her fingers brushing Santana’s hair back from her shoulders as she teases her. “Are you trying to distract me from making my argument for staying here with you?"

Leaning away from Brittany, Santana drops her hands to Brittany’s waist, her thumbs rubbing slowly against Brittany’s sides. “I’m giving you a goodnight kiss.”

“Santana…”

“Brittany,” kissing Brittany’s cheek one more time, Santana pulses her magic softly into Brittany, soothing her as she continues speaking, “you need to rest.”

“ _You_ need to rest.”

Kissing Brittany’s pout, Santana nods her head in agreement. “I do but I just want a little bit more time to read through the spell. I promise to only stay here for a short while longer and then I’ll wake one of the others to take the next watch.”

Brittany knows what Santana is doing as she feels her body relaxing with Santana’s magic and she gives in a little bit, pulling Santana to her in a hug and resting her cheek on Santana’s shoulder. “Then I’ll stay with you a little longer and we can go to sleep together.”

The feel of Santana’s magic changes at Brittany’s words and Brittany can’t stop her smile as Santana’s magic sharpens before settling again. Running her hands in long soothing strokes across Santana’s back, Brittany returns the favor and feels Santana’s body relaxing against her.

“That isn’t going to work, you know. Otherwise we’re both going to end up tumbling over as we fall asleep on our feet. Look at me.”

Reluctantly, Brittany pulls back to look at Santana, her serious expression as she speaks again stopping Brittany’s protest. “I need you to get some rest. These past couple of days, they’ve been a lot to handle. And, before you say anything, I know that it’s been a lot for all of us. But…I…listen, I worry about you, okay? It would make me feel better if you got even a little bit of sleep. I promise you, I’ll just take a little bit more time, make sure the church is secure, and then I’ll get some rest.”

The sincerity in Santana’s voice is hard to ignore and Brittany can’t deny the warm feeling Santana’s words cause inside her chest. With a heavy sigh, Brittany concedes to Santana, tugging on the ties of Santana’s tunic in mock protest. “Okay, I’ll go get some sleep but you better do the same. And soon.”

“I swear it.”

Running the backs of her fingers across Santana’s cheek, Brittany leans closer and kisses the side of Santana’s mouth, trailing her hand over Santana’s shoulder as she heads toward the back of the church, hesitating as Santana watches her. With a half smile, Brittany leaves Santana to the spell book and heads up the stairs to find an empty bed.

Santana listens as Brittany’s footsteps fade away, her body betraying her as she takes a step towards the stairs before turning and resting both palms onto the top of the table. She can still feel Brittany’s hands across her back, the residual magic warming her skin like the cloaks they were forced to leave behind in the cave. Shaking her head rapidly, Santana takes a deep breath and spends a few minutes walking around the quiet church, reinforcing her cloaking spell and extinguishing most of the torches near the front of the nave. Testing the barrier at the entranceway, Santana feels confident that between the residual magic still there and the lack of a heavy show of force guarding the church, they will all be safe for the night. As she makes her way back to the table with the spell book and the amulet, she stokes the fire slightly, chasing the chill from the room as she takes a seat at the table. With the amulet in front of the book, Santana starts to glance through the other spells contained in the book, curious if she could use any of them to help with the main spell she wants to cast.

A few minutes later finds her with her head propped on her hand, the turning of the pages getting slower as the time between blinks increases. Santana tells herself that she’s going to read one more spell and then head to bed like she promised Brittany, rubbing at her eyes quickly as she flips the page. Settling her cheek back onto her hand, Santana starts to read the words, barely noticing as they start to blur together.

 

* * *

 

“Santana. Santana!”

Jerking awake, Santana finds Quinn kneeling next to the table, her hand shaking Santana’s shoulder. Cringing as her back aches at the sudden movement, Santana sits back as Quinn stands, shutting the spell book and placing the amulet on top of it. “How long has it been?”

“Judging from the fire, you’ve been here about two hours.”

Groaning, Santana stands up and wipes her hands across her face, meeting Quinn’s curious glance. Sheepishly, Santana looks away as she answers the question she can sense coming from Quinn. “I told Brittany I would only be here for a short while before heading to sleep.”

Quinn’s soft laugh has Santana glaring at her, unable to stop the petulant tone in her voice. “And how do you manage to look so rested on such a short amount of sleep? It’s one of your more irritating habits.”

“Go to sleep, Santana. Your tiredness is making you mean.” The statement is softened by Quinn’s smile, a dried piece of biselk meat in her hand as she points at Santana. “Top of the stairs, second room on the right, by the way.”

Blushing as she realizes that Quinn is telling her where Brittany is sleeping, Santana pauses in the threshold, meeting Quinn’s amused gaze. “Thanks.”

“Sleep. Now.”

Rolling her eyes, Santana heads up the stairs, her legs aching slightly from the climb after sitting still for so long. Santana follows Quinn’s directions, smiling as she passes the room Rachel must be in, the soft snoring fading away as she continues to climb the stairs. There is an empty room across from where Brittany has claimed a bed and Santana is unsure if she should just go there. Unable to help herself, Santana quietly makes her way to the doorway of Brittany’s room, watching her sleep for a few moments, the single candle on the bedside table barely reaching Brittany’s face. Santana can hear her steady breathing and feels guilty over disturbing her and so she goes to leave, getting as far as turning around before Brittany’s sleep roughened voice beckons her closer.

“No, don’t leave, Santana. Come here and sleep.”

Looking back, Santana sees the thin blanket pulled back, the space in front of Brittany’s body empty as she shifts back to make room for Santana. Giving in, Santana moves to the edge of the bed, removing her boots before climbing into the bed, her back to Brittany to give her some room. Without hesitation, Brittany’s arm drapes across Santana’s waist as she covers them with the blanket, her warm body pressing close to Santana’s back. Santana’s body relaxes immediately, Brittany’s breathing evening out within seconds, and Santana finally closes her eyes. Wanting to try and take a moment to soak in the feeling of having Brittany sleeping against her, Santana tries to stay awake but her body gives in and she is asleep before her next breath.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A step further in their plans to battle Aleksander also bring Brittany and Santana a step closer to their true feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them. I promise to put them back right where I found them once I'm done.
> 
> A/N: Big thanks again to Uvaack for being a kick ass beta and an awesome story bouncer-off-er. :-)
> 
> A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated and thank you all so much who have reviewed already or who have sent me tweets and messages letting me know you're enjoying the story. :-)

As wakefulness slowly teases her senses, Brittany knows she should probably move. Despite the darkness of the early morning still taking up residence in the room, she can hear the others moving around downstairs, Malek’s irritated voice followed quickly by the sound of Nicholas’ laughter. Opening her eyes, she inhales slowly and glances down, the reason for her reluctance to get out of bed inching closer with a soft sound. At some point in the night, Brittany realizes she must have rolled away from Santana, the ache in her lower back speaking to the fact that she must have been flat on her back against the mattress for a while. Santana’s arm tightens around her ribs as she presses closer in her sleep and Brittany runs her hand softly across Santana’s back, the chill in the morning air chased away by their combined body heat under the blanket covering them. The tiredness in Santana’s body is readily apparent as it rests heavy against her own and Brittany chooses to ignores the pain in her back, determined to let Santana rest as long as possible.

The quiet shuffle of footsteps outside the door thwarts that idea and she looks over Santana’s shoulder to meet Rachel’s eyes, the regret in them evident as Rachel takes in Santana’s sleeping form. Stepping silently into the room, Rachel keeps her voice hushed as she looks at Brittany. “Everyone is awake and downstairs. Quinn held them off for a while but they’re anxious to figure out our next steps.”

“She sent you here to wake us up?”

Smiling, Rachel takes a half step closer and glances down at the back of Santana’s head before speaking again. “She figured that Santana was less likely to rip my head off when I woke her up over one of the boys coming up here to do it.”

“Don’t be so sure, _keela_. You’re probably standing closer to the bed then you should be.”

Santana’s voice is scratchy from sleep but it still has Rachel taking a step back, the smile Brittany can feel against her shoulder hidden from Rachel’s sight.

“Yes, well, Quinn would probably prefer if I kept my head _and_ you both came downstairs. I’m about to make breakfast.”

Subtly holding Santana a little closer under the blanket, Brittany lifts her head and answers Rachel. “Breakfast sounds good. We’ll be down shortly, I promise.”

Waiting until Rachel leaves the room, Santana goes to move away from Brittany, grunting playfully as Brittany pulls her back down. “No, don’t move. It’s okay.”

“We _should_ probably get up, Brittany. And…your back is hurting you.”

Startling a little bit, Brittany looks down and meets Santana’s gaze, the urge to lie dissipating at the look of concern on Santana’s face. “A little bit but it’ll be okay once I’m up and moving around.”

Santana holds eye contact with Brittany as she slides her hand across Brittany’s stomach, resting her palm just above the waistband of her pants. Rising onto her elbow, Santana focus her magic on her other hand, pulling the pain from Brittany’s back and absorbing it into her own body. Closing her eyes as she works to dissipate the pain, Santana misses the way Brittany’s mouth drops open, the blue of Brittany’s eyes shrinking as her body reacts to the lingering feel of Santana’s magic. After a few moments, Santana reluctantly removes her hand, both of them letting out a long breath as Santana sits up, checking the urge to pout at the loss of Brittany’s body against her as she stands next to the bed.

Stretching her arms above her head, Brittany grins at Santana at the easy way her back accommodates the motion, sliding her legs over the edge of the bed to join Santana in the middle of the small room. Impulsively, Brittany pulls Santana closer and kisses her softly, her touch light as they hold onto Santana’s shoulders. She keeps the kiss brief and smiles at Santana as she pulls away. “You kissed me goodnight so it only seems fair that I kiss you good morning.”

Clearing her throat, Santana’s stomach flutters in response to Brittany’s words and the emotion Santana can see behind her eyes. The simplicity of waking up with Brittany, even with everything going on around them, gives Santana a fleeting sense of peace and she’s loathe to let that go, her shoulders slumping slightly as she glances toward the hallway. She finds her hands clasped in Brittany’s warm ones as she’s pulled forward into another kiss, this one even softer than the first and she feels the connection with Brittany strengthened, the taste of Brittany’s magic lingering on her lips as the kiss ends.

“I know,” Brittany’s voice is barely audible, her thumbs running across the backs of Santana’s hands before letting them go.

With another smile and a deep breath, Brittany grabs her boots and waits while Santana does the same, each of them pausing in the hallway to put them on. The morning light is starting to fill the open spaces of the church and they can hear the elevated sound of voices downstairs, Rachel’s above them all in a sharp plea for help with breakfast dishes. Laughing, Santana stops at the top of the stairs to pull her hair into a bun, meeting Brittany’s grin over her shoulder. “What do you say we go save them from her wrath?”

 

* * *

 

Luck was on their side as they made their way into the main area of the church, Connell and Nicholas hauling in fresh water so they could clean up while Quinn and Malek helped Rachel get breakfast together. Taking a few minutes to make use of the clean water, Brittany and Santana sit down at the table just as Rachel brings over their plates, each containing a mound of flavored oats cooked with hot water, a strip of dried biselk, and a slice of _danpo_.

Picking up the bright red piece of fruit, Santana holds the _danpo_ up, her mouth already watering in anticipation of its sweetness. “Where did you even find this, Rachel?”

“It wasn’t me. Connell found a tree behind the water shed this morning. There were only three good pieces left but I could probably make them last for a few days. Assuming people don’t try to sneak pieces off of other people’s plate. Malek!”

Brittany’s eyes open wide as Rachel slaps at Malek’s broad hand, the _danpo_ slice falling to the table between them. The table erupts in laughter as Malek’s cheeks darken, his mumbled ‘sorry’ said through a crooked smile. The others begin eating and Brittany can’t help but smile as she watches Rachel hand Malek the _danpo_ slice between them, Rachel’s eyeroll for show as Malek wastes no time in taking a bite.

Passing Connell a mug of water, Quinn finishes a spoonful of oats before looking over at Santana, using her spoon to indicate the book of spells on the table next to them. “What’s the plan, Santana?”

Santana pushes her bowl to the center of the table, going over to get the book of spells before taking her seat once more, turning the pages of the book until she finds the proper spell. “I went over and over this spell last night and I think that my initial plan to use the amulet and the spell at Featherstone Castle was wrong.”

“Wrong in what way?”

“I can’t be sure but I don’t think the spell is meant to happen right away. Here, the phrase _kashen uys nagew_ …it translates roughly to _the life of a candle_ or something like that. This spell is in _Castiveen_ but some of the words are different, older I think. Once the spell is cast, I don’t think we can be sure when the power will be released and I don’t think it would be wise to wait it out behind the gates of Aleksander’s castle.”

Leaning back in his chair, Malek drums his fingers on the table before meeting Santana’s eyes, nodding his head as he accepts her reasoning. “What do you propose instead, Santana?”

“There are two covens close to Thestin, very old and very powerful covens on the outskirts of Aleksander’s land, that make up the main front of the resistance. It’s been awhile since I’ve had contact with them but they should still be there. Like this church, if those covens had fallen, the news would have made its way to us.”

Interrupting Santana, Brittany confirms her statement. “They are still there. At least, they were still there in the time just before I found your cabin. Siobhan mentioned trying to join forces with them after we made it to River’s Run.”

“Then we’ll have to trust that they haven’t fallen. Their power is enough to maintain their barrier protecting their lands, allowing the main holds of the resistance to operate there, but they have never been able to breach the grounds of Featherstone Castle. This spell, the power released by this ancient amulet, might just be enough for them to finally break through. But I don’t want them to be blindsided by the shift in their power. We’ll also need them to coordinate with the other resistance forces so there is a concentrated attack on the castle. This might be our only chance to turn the tide in our favor.”

Santana can sense Quinn tensing across the table as she continues to speak but she blocks Quinn out, turning her attention to Rachel and Connell. “The trip there and back should take about a day, less if you push hard. I’d like to send you each to the covens so you can let them know of our plan.”

“What if they don’t believe us?”

Holding Rachel’s gaze, Santana leans forward, her fingers curling over the edge of the spell book. “You have to make them believe, Rachel. We’ve come this far and we need them in order for this to work. I have faith and I trust that you and Connell will get them to agree to our plan.”

“No.”

Santana was expecting Quinn’s quiet voice, the tension in her beta’s body language speaking to the disagreement before the word was uttered. Since she was prepared for it, even understanding why it would come, Santana’s own body language remains calm even as the rest of her pack turns to look at Quinn.

The silence sits heavy at the table as Santana and Quinn look at each other, Santana’s voice even as she replies to Quinn. “Rachel and Connell are the fastest out of all of us. They can make it there and back in less time than it would take most of us to get there.”

“You would send them out, alone, so close to Aleksander’s stronghold, knowing what he and the Sogues are capable of doing?”

There is an undercurrent to the conversation happening between Quinn and Santana that has Brittany feeling unsettled, her gaze flickering between the two women.   Brittany expects to see anger on Santana’s face with Quinn’s challenge but Brittany only detects sadness, a matching look on Quinn’s face. Looking down, she sees Rachel place her hand gently over Quinn’s forearm, the rest of the pack continuing to watch in silence as the scene plays out.

“Quinn, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Rachel. There is no way that…”

“Quinn, please…”

“No, if you think that I could let…”

“Quinn!” The sharp tone of Santana’s voice has Quinn trailing off, Santana’s body language softening as she looks Quinn in the eye, the sharpness gone as she speaks again. “Quinn, I understand. You know I understand but we need them for this.”

There is a brief moment of hesitation before Quinn gives in, excusing herself as she pushes away from the table and heads to the back room.

“Santana…”

With a heavy breath, Santana nods her head, her voice quiet as she looks over at Rachel. “Go.”

As Rachel gets up and follows after Quinn, Nicolas wordlessly starts collecting some of the breakfast dishes, resting his hand briefly on Santana’s shoulder as he passes her before walking over to one of the water buckets. Leaning over to the side of the table, Malek grabs the remaining strips of biselk and hands them to Connell, refilling Connell’s mug with water as well before putting that on the table in front of him. “Eat up, boy. With the run you’re making, you’re going to need all the energy you can get.”

 

* * *

 

It takes most of the rest of the morning for Quinn and Rachel to emerge back into the main room of the church, the breakfast dishes long since cleared away, but Brittany can tell that whatever Rachel said to Quinn has made a difference. As she watches, Rachel detours to Malek at the sound of her name, water and more biselk strips given to her as Connell talks quietly with Nicolas next to them.

Brittany turns her attention back to the spell book in front of her as Quinn walks over toward the table, Santana getting up and meeting her halfway. Even knowing that she shouldn’t eavesdrop, Brittany can’t help but listen to the conversation happening near her, her eyes blind to the words she pretends to read. Of all the dynamics between the pack members and Santana, it’s her relationship with Quinn that Brittany can’t quite figure out all the way. The panic in Quinn’s voice and the hint of sadness in Santana’s over her decision to send Rachel and Connell out revealed another layer to Quinn and Santana’s relationship and Brittany listens intently in the hopes of having that layer exposed.

“Santana, before you say anything, I’m sorry I disagreed with you in front of everyone like that. Especially now and especially with everything that is going on.”

“I get it, Quinn.”

Brittany can sense Santana glance in her direction and she turns the page, running her finger across the words as if she’s reading. When Santana speaks again, her voice is quieter and Brittany has to strain to hear the words.

“Believe me, I understand. I’m sending the woman you love…two people you love and that I love…into danger. If anything happened to them because I sent them out there, I don’t know how I’d live with myself. They are my family, you know that.”

“I know…I know that. I didn’t mean to add to the weight of that decision and as Rachel so kindly reminded me, it’s not my place to make decisions for her or prevent her from making decisions for herself. Even still, it wasn’t just about that. This place, the circumstances…”

Brittany can’t stop herself from looking up at the emotion in Quinn’s voice, all pretense of reading gone as she observes Santana step closer to Quinn, her hand running soothingly over Quinn’s arm before leading them further into the main hall and out of range of Brittany’s hearing.

She has to fight not to stand up and follow them, the feeling that she’s missing out on something important growing as Santana pulls Quinn in for a quick hug. Santana remains near one of the pews as Quinn makes her way over to the group, her fingers slipping between Rachel’s as she joins her. Brittany finds and holds Santana’s gaze, her magic fluttering below her skin at the intense way Santana is looking at her, yet another thing brewing between them the longer they stare at each other. There is something behind Santana’s eyes that Brittany can’t quite name and her nerves from earlier return, pushing her to stand up from the table. She watches Santana’s eyes drop down and she looks down as well, startled to see her magic twining around her fingers like smoke. Inhaling quickly, Brittany pulls her magic back, relieved to see nobody from the group is looking in her direction. She senses that Santana wants to come over to her, the question in her eyes readily apparent, but Nicolas’ voice breaks the tension between them and instead they both head over in the direction of the group moving to one of the side doors.

“You’re crazy if you think I’m going to take that bet.”

“What bet?”

“Santana, get this. Connell bet me thirty _iryns_ that he would be back before Rachel.”

Ignoring Rachel’s outraged noise, Santana pins Connell with a stare, crossing her arms over her chest as she addresses him. “You would bet on a task of this importance?”

Finding no sympathy in Rachel’s eyes, Connell turns to look at Quinn, his shoulders falling as she simply arches an eyebrow at him. Accepting the rebuke, he faces Santana, an apology spilling quickly from his lips. “I didn’t mean anything by it, Santana. Rachel was tense…”

“I…was tense?”

“Um, well, I just mean that with Quinn and everything and…”

“Easy, _brooka_.”

Quinn’s voice has Connell’s cheeks reddening further, his hands tugging on the hem of his tunic as he looks at Santana again. “I just thought to try and ease the situation a little bit because of everything that’s resting on Rachel and I making it to the covens and, I didn’t…I mean…”

Connell’s earnestness brings a smile to her face and she steps forward, resting her hands on Connell’s shoulders, squeezing them lightly as she responds to his nervous rambling. “Thirty _iryns_ , is it? On whoever beats the other one back?”

“Yeah, yes…that was going to be it but…”

Playfully patting Connell’s cheek, Santana glances over her shoulder at Rachel. “My money’s on you, Rachel.”

“Hey!”

Malek’s laugh booms through the deserted church, the others playfully betting on each of the twins with Brittany respectfully declining to make a choice. Hanging back, Brittany watches the way the pack interacts, their moments of joking interspersed with long hugs with Rachel and Connell, whispered words of encouragement and advice exchanged in equal measure, her own words to Rachel and Connell a family blessing in _Castiveen_ to guide them on a swift and safe trip. Connell’s hug with Quinn lasts longer than the others until she finally pulls away with a glancing kiss on his cheek, leaving only Rachel and Quinn to say their parting words. Brittany expects them to seek privacy for their goodbye or for the rest of the pack to wander away but to her surprise, they all remain as they were and Brittany realizes that this is their way of honoring this relationship between their beta and her bonded mate. Looking around she sees that she is part of the semi-circle formed by the pack, Santana’s eyes meeting hers across the way. Without thought, Brittany’s shoulders straighten, bearing her own witness to this sacred bond. With Santana’s eyes still locked on hers, she feels a rush of heat flash across her chest, the fleeting thought passing through her head over what it would be like to be bonded with Santana.

The moment between her and Santana is broken as Quinn releases Rachel from her embrace, the pack finally averting their gaze as Rachel pulls Quinn back for a kiss before stepping away to join Connell by the door. Moving to them, Santana rests her hands on each of their shoulders, all traces of her earlier playfulness gone from her voice. “You looked over the map that Nicolas showed you? You each have your routes memorized?”

“More or less. The map he found was an older one so some of the landmarks may have changed but the land itself should essentially be the same. We’ll be able to sense when we get close to their magical barrier anyway so it should all be fine.”

Nodding at Connell’s assertion, Santana presses them on the most important matter, knowing that even if they make it there, their plan may still fail. “You know what to say to them to convince them of our intentions? We’ll need them to send messengers to the rest of the resistance and their nearest covens so they’ll be prepared for the spell. The dark witches and wolves won’t be affected but if Aleksander has hybrids, newly turned, their hearts may still be pure enough that they’ll feel the amulet’s power. We won’t have much time after the amulet empties to try and catch Aleksander and the Sogues off guard.”

Reaching up, Rachel rests her hand on top of Santana’s, smiling as she answers her. “When have you known me to not be able to talk someone in to something? And Connell can smooth talk a _tygew_ beast from its dinner. We’ll make it work, Santana. I promise you.”

Santana knows that Rachel is right, the speed of the twins is only part of the reason she chose them to go, and she also knows that she has to trust that decision, even if the thought of willingly sending two of her pack members into danger scrapes at her heart. With a small exhale, she reaches past them and opens the door, the faint warmth of the early afternoon starting to give way to the cool, long shadows of the approaching evening. “If I could send you with magic, I would. The amount needed to send you to two different locations, never mind the chance that the surprise of you appearing in the middle of covens already prepared for war might get you killed, means that I can’t.”

“It’s alright, Santana. This way will allow us to scan the surrounding areas as well and that could be helpful later. We’ll be okay.”

Taking Rachel at her word, Santana holds each of their gazes for a long moment, her words following them as they shift and take off in different directions. “Be swift and sure in your journey. May your words find their place in willing hearts and may you return home to us soon.”

 

* * *

 

The remainder of the afternoon is spent keeping busy, all of them working to avoid wondering how Rachel and Connell are doing. A more thorough examination of the church revealed a hidden storage area that allowed them to restock their food supplies, an old chest filled with books and drawings on wolf ancestry that managed to bring a tiny smile to Quinn’s face, and an ancient _athame_ that Santana brought to the main part of the church to put with the spell book. The ritual for the spell called for blood, as powerful magic usually does, and Santana thinks that the addition of the coven’s own ceremonial knife could only help them.

With Rachel gone, Brittany offers to make dinner for the group, the fresh rabbit caught by Nicolas turning into a nice stew, a few root vegetables thrown in for substance. As Brittany hands Santana her bowl, she’s struck with the memory of her first day with Santana behind her cabin as she helped her prepare the rabbit that Quinn caught. She catches the hint of a smile on Santana’s face as their fingers touch and realizes Santana is thinking about the same thing. Filling her own bowl, Brittany joins the quiet group at the table, small talk passed between them until bellies are full, Nicolas again rising to clean up the dishes.

A long stretch follows Malek’s rise from the table, his unspoken question to Santana answered as Nicolas rejoins them. “Malek, you and Nicolas go on patrol and do a perimeter check. With the food supplies in the guards’ traveling packs, I figure we have a few more days before they would either be forced to go back for more supplies or would be relieved of their post by a new contingent of guards. I think our position is still secure but it won’t hurt to take a look around.”

Malek and Nicolas head to the front of the church without a word, leaving Quinn with Brittany and Santana. Santana knows that Quinn is thinking about Rachel and Connell being out there, her eyes unfocused as she stares at one of the candles burning at the table. Understanding what Quinn needs, Santana walks into her line of sight, waiting for Quinn to look at her. “Brittany and I are going to take another look through the rooms in the tower and see if maybe we overlooked something earlier. Will you be okay down here?”

The worry in Quinn’s eyes is hidden behind a smile, her hands brushing through her choppy hair as she stands up, gesturing to a table in the narthex. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to look through those books and drawings we found. Most of it is in _jzaktis_ and while my _jzaktis_ is a little rusty, I know enough to pick up most of what I’m reading. Is the barrier secure while Nicolas and Malek are out?”

“It is. I checked before dinner. If you find something or you…need anything, we’ll just be upstairs.”

Acknowledging the sentiment behind Santana’s words, Quinn gives a small nod, brushing past Santana as she heads toward the west end of the church. Brittany watches Santana watching Quinn and her feeling from earlier returns. Since she’s been with the pack, she’s slowly learned each of their stories but Quinn’s remains a mystery and more than that, her history with Santana remains vague. Their interactions speak to something deeper than just alpha to beta and while Brittany has a really good feeling it’s not something romantic that lies under their relationship, her instinct is telling her that whatever that something is closely guarded by both Quinn and Santana. Her thoughts are pulled back as Santana turns and smiles at her, picking up one of the candles and beckoning Brittany to follow her up the back stairs. With one final look in Quinn’s direction, Brittany returns Santana’s smile, following her to the top of the church tower.

 

* * *

 

The last room at the top of the tower is flush with shadows, the moonlight coming through the large dormer to the side of the room casting an eerie illumination into the mostly empty space. Stepping into the room, Santana places the candle into an empty holder sitting on a small table, skirting a bed nearby to push open the windows. Santana moves aside as Brittany joins her, both of them looking out across the treetops in silence before Santana leans closer and points to a tall object far off to the north. “Do you see that?”

“I think…the tall spiral thing”?

“Yes. That’s the top of the main tower of Featherstone Castle.”

Brittany is suddenly very aware of how close Santana is standing next to her and she angles her body, using the pretense of wanting to get a better look to bring Santana’s chest flush against her back. The quick inhale from Santana brings them even closer and Brittany waits to see if Santana will move, covering her smile with her hair as Santana simply rests her hands on Brittany’s hips, both of them looking at the spiral.

“It looks beautiful from here. It’s hard to reconcile that something so beautiful could be the home to something so evil.” Santana feels a shiver run through Brittany’s body and pulls her closer, resting her chin on Brittany’s shoulder as Brittany sighs before continuing to speak, “I spent so long running from the dark ones that to be this close now, it’s…I don’t know. It scares me.”

“I’m scared, too. This chance we’re taking, even considering trying to go up against Aleksander and his forces? This danger I’m putting you all in, I…”

Spinning around, Brittany cuts Santana off, shaking her head as she speaks. “You aren’t putting us in danger, Santana. Me, your pack…we’re all here because we want to be. This war will be won not because one savior will rise to destroy Aleksander but because of people like us and the resistance who fight together. This opportunity that the amulet brings could be what finally turns the tide in our favor and yes I’m scared but there’s no place else I’d rather be than here, fighting at your side with your pack.”

Overcome, Santana steps forward, her hands finding the side of Brittany’s face as she pulls her in for a kiss, taking comfort in the gentle way Brittany kisses her back. After a few moments, she brings the kiss to an end with a smile, leaning over to shut the windows and close out the reminder of what awaits them. Moving away from the dormer, she and Brittany walk over to a long table braced against the back wall, books and potions spread across its surface as if someone only just left. Noticing a torch tucked into an intricate sconce above the table, Santana waves her hand, igniting the torch as she reaches for one of the books.

Next to her, Brittany runs her fingers over the engraved words on one of the book covers, glancing over at Santana, her voice curious as she holds up a piece of parchment. “Where do you think the witches that lived here went when Aleksander’s forces were coming? Why not stay here and wait it out?”

“I’m not sure. I think maybe they might have used most of their power to secure the church from being breached and may have fled to find the amulet themselves. Since we found the amulet, with Vasperk destroyed, I can only hope that finding amulet wasn’t their final intention.”

Brittany places the parchment back down, sliding one of the books over and startling as a flat blue gemstone slips out from under the cover. Drawn to the noise, Santana looks down and grins, reaching for the gemstone before Brittany can grab it.

“What is that?”

“Have you never seen a _wreyuk_ stone before?”

Trying to get a better look, Brittany moves closer to Santana, laughing as Santana dances away, moving with the stone behind her back until she’s across the room by the candle. Holding the gem in the palm of her hand, Santana holds it out in front of her body, breathing deeply as her magic reacts to it. “I can’t believe that someone of the High Council has never seen nor used a _wreyuk_ stone. These were always very popular around the time of the Harvest Moon.”

“Well, maybe if you’d let me see it, I could tell you whether I’ve ever encountered one before.”

Grinning harder at Brittany’s pout, Santana delights in watching Brittany’s face as she takes the gemstone from Santana’s hand, her grin turning to a smirk as Brittany’s eyes quickly find hers. “Oh.”

There’s a low pull in Santana’s belly as she sees Brittany’s body react to the _wreyuk_ , Brittany’s cheeks flushing pink as she takes a deep breath. Taking a step closer, Santana keeps her eyes on Brittany’s, her magic starting to thrum in her veins. “The _wreyuk_ is also known as the Lover’s Stone. It’s traditionally used for fertility but it can also be used to bring hidden desires out, either alone or with someone else.”

Clearing her throat, Brittany knows her cheeks are betraying her body’s reaction to the stone, her embarrassment over finding such a personal item among another witch's things losing quickly to the sensations coming alive in her body. “Hidden desires? Not real?”

Santana shakes her head, realizing that she has moved even closer to Brittany. “No, they are real. The gemstone can’t make you feel something that isn’t already there. It only releases the person from the binds that keep them from acknowledging their wants and desires.” As she answers Brittany’s question, Santana sees Brittany’s magic reacting to the gemstone, blue light twining like a snake around the stone and she inhales slowly, the image bringing forth a memory from earlier. Despite her reluctance to end this little game they are playing, the sight of Brittany’s magic swirling around her hands brings Santana back to the moment with Brittany in the nave, the memory of the look in Brittany’s eyes prompting Santana to take the _wreyuk_ and place it next to the candle on the table.

Facing Brittany, she tries to ignore the lingering sensation of the warm gemstone in her hand, Brittany’s magic fading against her palm. Letting a few seconds pass to remove the influence of the stone, Santana takes a small step back, meeting Brittany’s gaze directly. “Brittany, can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“What was that before with your magic? When I was finished talking with Quinn before Connell and Rachel left?”

Brittany doesn’t need Santana to clarify the moment as she knows exactly what she is talking about, a small twinge of nerves sneaking along her skin as she thinks about how to answer Santana. She’s not sure that bringing up her unease and curiosity over Santana and Quinn’s relationship is the right conversation to have just then but there is one aspect over her reaction that she can answer. Taking the discovery of the _wreyuk_ as a sign, Brittany swallows hard, letting out a long breath before answering Santana’s question as honestly as she can. Holding her hands out, she lets go of her control slightly, allowing her magic to build, the sensation warming her hands and sending slow tendrils of blue to trail across her knuckles. “When you look at me sometimes, Santana, it feels like I can’t stop the magic from building inside of me. It’s like you call to some deep part of me and my body responds to you before I can pull it back.”

Realizing that Brittany’s confession is putting them at an unspoken crossroad, Santana decides to meet her honesty with some of her own. Stepping closer to Brittany, Santana reaches out and runs her fingertip across the back of Brittany’s hand, the blue magic moving over her skin like fog. With her voice barely above a whisper, Santana remains watching Brittany’s magic moving over hand, the blue starting to turn a faint purple as Santana’s magic joins it. “I feel it too. Why do you hold back?”

“Because you scare me. _This_ scares me.”

At that, Santana’s hand falls away, her quick step away from Brittany causing her to knock into the table behind her, the light from the candle dancing wildly over the room. “I scare you?”

“Yes. No.   Not like you’re thinking. Stop moving, Santana…look at me. Just…look.”

Grabbing Santana’s hands, Brittany presses their palms together, holding their joined hands up between them. Never looking away from Santana, Brittany releases the hold on her magic, the air punched from her lungs as Santana’s magic rushes out to meet hers, the power of it pulling a desperate noise from Brittany’s open mouth. She watches Santana’s mouth fall open and she aches to kiss her, everything in Brittany pulling her forward to do just that before she forces herself to stop, needing to try and make Santana understand before anything else happens between them.

Breaking the connection, Brittany steps back, her chest shuddering as she tries to catch her breath, Santana doing the same in front of her. “Don’t you feel it?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve never felt this before, with anyone, not even anything close to this. Sharing magic like this takes years and even then you have to nurture that connection and yet with you, it’s just there. We haven’t known each other that long but I feel you in my bones, in my blood. And that scares me. Not because I’m afraid of you but what cruel twist of fate put us in each other’s paths now, now when we stand to lose everything? I’ve lost everything except myself but I know as sure as I’m standing here before you that if I were to lose you and lose what I’ve found with you and your pack, that would be a darkness that I could not recover from. It scares me to think that in such a short amount of time, I’ve come to have these feelings for you. And I can sense you keeping your distance sometimes and so I hold back, because I think it’s the right thing to do. But now?”

“Now?”

”I don’t want to fight this anymore, Santana. I need you and, it may be selfish but, I need to be with you. I realized, watching Rachel and Connell leave and seeing Quinn, that whatever is coming for us in our future may end any chance we have to see what this might be. And if this is all we’re going to get before everything falls to pieces, then I’m going to take all that I can.”

Santana feels breathless as Brittany finishes speaking, the blue of Brittany’s eyes pulling all color from the room until that’s all that Santana can see. Santana understands that she and Brittany have been building to this since the first time they shared their magic, their connection more and more difficult to dismiss the longer they spend together. As Brittany moves closer, Santana’s heart gives in to the emotions Brittany’s word evoke, her body responding to Brittany’s next command.

“Be with me.”

In the same motion that she casts a cloaking spell in front of the door, Santana steps forward and slides her palm across Brittany’s jaw, her fingers curving to grip the back of Brittany’s neck. “Don’t hold back. Not anymore.”

Answering Santana’s entreaty with kiss, Brittany moans against her mouth, tilting her head as Santana’s tongue slides across hers. Desire strips the dexterity from Brittany’s hands as she fumbles with the ties of Santana’s tunic, her magic teased forward with each slow stroke of Santana’s tongue. Despite her grip on the back of Brittany’s neck, Santana takes her time kissing Brittany, her own magic surging through her veins as the back of Brittany’s fingers brush across her chest, her tunic now loosely hanging from her shoulders. Reaching up, Brittany pulls Santana’s hand away from her neck and ends the kiss, sucking her own bottom lip into her mouth to taste Santana’s magic. With Santana watching her, Brittany grabs the bottom of Santana’s tunic and gently pulls it over her head, letting it fall at their feet.

Kneeling, Brittany guides Santana to sit on the edge of the bed, going to remove her boots before being stopped by Santana’s hands on hers. “Wait…not those. In case something happens, it’s only Quinn downstairs and we should be ready and, I’m sorry…I’m ruining this…”

“No, shhh, it’s okay.” Soothing her hands across Santana’s thighs as she rises, Brittany stands between Santana’s open legs and takes off her own tunic, inhaling sharply as the fabric drops from her hand, Santana’s hands skimming across the skin of Brittany’s lower back. Letting Santana pull her closer, Brittany releases Santana’s bun, combing her fingers through the dark, heavy strands as Santana looks up at her.

“When this battle is over, I’m going to take you to the most beautiful place I know and do this the right way. You deserve so much more, Brittany.”

Leaning down, Brittany kisses the words from Santana’s mouth before cupping the back of her head and guiding Santana to her breast, her skin tingling as Santana presses a soft kiss there. “The most beautiful place in the world is right here with you, right now. Santana…”

On a soft sigh, Santana drags her bottom lip across Brittany’s nipple, thrilling in hearing Brittany’s words melt into a groan. Brittany’s skin is fever hot as Santana runs her palms over the curve of Brittany’s spine, releasing a pulse of magic that causes Brittany’s hips to arch closer to Santana. Slowly wrapping Santana’s hair in her fist, Brittany pulls Santana’s mouth closer, clenching her jaw as Santana responds by sucking her nipple into her warm mouth. Need flutters warm and wet between Brittany’s legs as Santana drags her open mouth across Brittany’s chest, giving her other breast the same attention.

The candlelight dances its way across Santana’s features and Brittany feels her hold on her magic slip even further, wanting nothing more than to feel Santana pressed against her. Releasing Santana’s hair, Brittany caresses the tops of Santana’s shoulders before pushing her back onto the bed, her hands going to Santana’s waistband, tugging the fabric of her pants down to her ankles. Santana’s desire is apparent as her knees fall open, her breath rushing quickly through parted lips as Brittany’s gaze travels agonizingly slow over her body. Magic seeps from between Santana’s fingers, skimming across the thin bed cover as Brittany straddles her waist, warm palms covering her breasts as Brittany indulges them both in a rough kiss. There are a hundred ways that Brittany wanted this time with Santana to go but her magic feels like fire beneath her skin, her stomach tight with desire and so she braces one hand above Santana’s shoulder, her mouth skimming across Santana’s cheek to rest next to Santana’s ear. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Before she can reply, Santana’s mouth drops open on a groan, Brittany’s other hand reaching between their bodies to tease through Santana’s wetness, her fingertips slipping against Santana as she curls her hips in response. Brittany can feel Santana’s magic as her pleasure grows, Santana’s nails lightly scratching across Brittany’s back and making her skin tingle as magic flows over her sensitive skin. There is a battle inside of Brittany to want to make this last with Santana despite everything in her pushing her to just take Santana and her magic makes the decision for her, her fingers sinking into Santana as she pulls her head back to look at her.

The connection blooming between her and Santana has Brittany moaning as Santana’s body reacts to Brittany touching her, Santana’s back arching slowly as she drops her hands to the bed, fingers splayed wide as Brittany’s palm brushes against her. As Santana tightens against her fingers, Brittany lets her magic go, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as Santana watches her with half-lidded eyes, Santana’s pleasure a desperate ache inside Brittany that continues to build as she works to bring Santana over the edge.

Suddenly Santana’s hands are at her waist, frantically pulling at the ties of her pants until the backs of her fingers brush low on Brittany’s belly, creating just enough space for Santana’s hand to slip inside the space created there. Santana’s moan at the wetness she finds has Brittany’s eyes closing, her own fingers pausing as Santana forgoes any teasing and begins to touch her with purpose. Santana’s forearm brushes against her own and the sensation feels like lightning across her skin, her eyes opening as she begins to move her fingers once more.

Neither notice the candle flame growing next to them, it’s light hazy as their magic swirls in gossamer wisps around them. With her free hand, Santana pushes against the bed and sits up, wrapping her arm around Brittany’s back and tilting her head up, her mouth opening at the first touch of Brittany’s lips against hers. Everything in her feels connected to Brittany and it almost feels like too much, her pleasure coiled tight enough to snap at any second as Brittany moves her fingers harder and faster, prompting Santana to do the same. Breaking the kiss, Santana looks up at Brittany, her body trembling as their joined magic seems to ready to burst into flames inside of her.

“Brittany…”

“I _know_ …”

The groan that follows Brittany’s words pushes Santana over the edge, her body tensing as she brings Brittany along with her a few seconds later, their bodies falling to the bed as their hips slowly ease to a stop. With a soft moan, Santana relaxes against the bed as Brittany moves her hand, smiling softly at the answering moan when she does the same. Santana feels boneless even with the awkward way her pants are bunched around her ankles, preventing her from stretching out the way she wants to with Brittany, and she huffs out a laugh as Brittany tries to get more comfortable.

“Wait, just move over here for a second.”

Pulling Brittany to her other side, Santana sits and pulls her pants up, leaving the waistband open as she lays back down, rolling onto her side to face Brittany who is looking at her with a smile.

“What?”

Santana watches Brittany bring her hand to rest on the small expanse of bed between their bodies, Brittany’s smile growing as she spreads her fingers out, the magic swirling around them a soft purple. Curious, Santana brings her hand up and inhales sharply as she sees her magic is the same purple as Brittany’s, the blending of their magic affecting both of them. Reverently, Santana traces her fingers across Brittany’s knuckles, looking at Brittany for a moment before speaking. “This has never happened to me before.”

“You’ve shared your magic before though?”

“Yes but…not like this. It’s never been like this. I’ve never shared with someone while being _with_ them.”

Shuffling closer, Brittany pulls Santana forward into a kiss, leaving her hand against her face to stroke the soft skin of Santana’s cheek. “Me either. It was like I couldn’t control it but I didn’t want to, not with you. This connection, Santana…I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. I don’t know how it can be that I can feel like this when you were a stranger to me not so long ago but it doesn’t make this any less real.”

“Of all the magical things in this world, Brittany, you are one of the few things that ever felt truly right to me. When I bonded with my pack, I thought that would be enough. To have them with me and to stay alive was enough for me but now? You feel essential to me. Maybe you were meant to find my cabin that night. Maybe we would have met under different circumstances at another time. Either way it feels fated to have you here with me and with us, especially now.”

Helplessly, Brittany kisses Santana again, the undercurrents of their magic still moving through her body, her feelings made stronger by Santana’s declaration. Just for a moment, she can forget the reason she found her way to Santana’s door and the reason they are together in this room in an abandoned church and just experience the peace she feels being in Santana’s arms. Placing a kiss on Santana’s cheek, Brittany smiles when she feels Santana’s cheek curve, lifting her body slightly as Santana places her arm around her waist.

As Santana rolls onto her back, Brittany notices a mark on her skin, partially hidden now by her waistband, chagrined to realize she didn’t see it earlier when she was in a rush to get her hands on Santana. Trailing her fingers over Santana’s stomach, Brittany pushes up onto her elbow, her fingertips tracing the whorls of what she sees is some kind of intricate brand just above Santana’s hip. Looking up, she finds Santana watching her intently, her breathing slow and deliberate as she waits for Brittany to speak. “Did this hurt?”

Covering Brittany’s hand, Santana shakes her head, pulling gently on Brittany until she’s resting against her chest. Santana runs her fingers through Brittany’s hair, using her other hand to remove the cloaking spell from the door, pulling the side of the blanket partially over their bodies before answering Brittany’s question. “I don’t really remember. It was given to me as a baby.”

Brittany soothes her hand over the mark as if she could wipe away the pain from a memory that Santana doesn’t even have, her brow furrowed as she tilts her head up to look at Santana. “What kind of person would brand a baby?”

Kissing the concern from Brittany’s forehead, Santana eases her back down as she runs her hand in long strokes across Brittany’s bare back. “It’s a family tradition, much like the _parlok_ mark given to witches born of the High Council. I’m sure you have been part of those ceremonies before?”

“I have. But the mark is given magically, with no pain to the child. Your mark was burned into your skin. I know you don’t remember but my heart aches for the baby you were to experience that kind of pain so young.”

Santana has to close her eyes against the emotion Brittany’s words bring, her tender heart on display as Brittany once again runs her fingers gently over the mark. Pressing a kiss to the top of Brittany’s head, Santana lets out a slow breath, her body relaxing further against Brittany’s. “It’s meant to build character, to see it there, and is done young enough that the memory fades but you are very sweet for your words.”

The next few minutes pass in comfortable silence, Santana’s eyelids weighing heavy before opening, a jolt of awareness rushing through her body before she relaxes again. “Malek and Nicholas have returned from patrol.”

Pulled from the beginning fog of sleep by the flash of tension in Santana’s body, Brittany yawns and cuddles closer, her voice sleepy as she curves her arm around Santana’s ribs. “Santana, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“I can understand how you can communicate with them when you are in wolf form but how can you know their thoughts and their location when you are just a woman?”

Snorting, Santana pokes Brittany’s side, her voice playfully hurt as she waits for Brittany to stop squirming, enjoying the sound of her laughter. “Just a woman am I?”

“You know what I mean.”

Running her hand across Brittany’s arm, Santana rests her cheek against the top of Brittany’s head, watching the candlelight flicker on the ceiling above them. “It’s the Oath of Echoes. That bond that gets created between alpha and the pack extends to my normal form. That link is essential to survival so it remains regardless of whether I’ve shifted or not.”

Another moment passes in silence before Santana senses a change in Brittany’s magic, her cheek warm where it rests against Santana’s shoulder. “Does it work the other way when you aren’t in wolf form? Can they know your thoughts?”

“Only if I let them. Why?”

It takes a moment before Santana understands why Brittany asked that question and she grins, pulling Brittany closer even as Brittany tries to roll away from Santana’s teasing laughter. Kissing Brittany’s pout, Santana looks at her face, her tone becoming more serious as she holds Brittany’s gaze. “What we share is just between us, Brittany. My pack will sense the change in our dynamic because that is essential to their survival as well but that’s as far as it will go.”

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Brittany kisses Santana one more time before returning her head to Santana’s shoulder, her legs brushing against Santana’s as she gets more comfortable. Casting a spell to ensure the candle will burn through the remainder of the night, Santana closes her eyes, her hand coming to rest on the curve of Brittany’s waist. “Sleep now, Brittany. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a big day.”


End file.
